February 14 C.E. 70. PLANTs. Near Junius City area.
The space was ablaze with fires and flashes from laser fires, missiles, ballistic projectiles and more, as the EA 1st Fleet were engaging the enemy, that which though was outnumbered at least eleven to one, was inflicting heavy losses. This was the very first official battle of the war that would come to be known as PLANTs-Earth Federation war, and EA's First Fleet, whose orders were to depart from its moorings from Ptolemaues lunar base and head straight for the Junius City, in order to carry out an attack on it. Under normal circumstances, such an attack would've been seen as suicidal, as the Coordinators have already proven last year their capability to fight, not to mention that since C.E. 67 the PLANTs were also surrounded by its famous Nebula Shroud, a massive network of satellites, serving as the early warning system in case of an asteroid or a comet attack, and which were converted for military purposes.
Due to their sheer numbers and area of coverage, it was deemed impossible to approach the PLANTs undetected, and yet the First Fleet did just that, having gotten well past the satellites and their sensors didn't as much as pick up a thing. For the newly-formed Earth Alliance, it seemed like they would be able to strike the first bloody blow upon the hated Coordinators without having to worry about their retaliation, but this belief was dispelled when their radars picked up a full squadron of 12 mobile suits, headed their way. And if that wasn't bad enough, soon enough they've identified the squadron and their leader, and when the news reached all of the fleet, a chill ran down nearly every captain's spine.
This was because they were up against the 1st Mobile Suit Corps, also known in the EA's ranks as the Angels of Death, the very same Corps that had scored the first mobile suits' victory last year. Clad in black with red and white details, the GINNs High Maneuver Types, led by a experimental prototype, attacked the First Fleet with precision and unparalleled aggression, with their leader, Millicas Lucifuge, leading the charge in his prototype, destroying the forward destroyer with a precise shot. Before all of mobile armors were deployed, five more ships were destroyed, and the First Fleet grounded to a halt, as it was trying to repel the attack of the enemy, as Angels maneuvered around them and picked off targets one by one.
And among this chaos, a red and black mobile suit was flying at speeds that made him appear less as a machine and more like a comet, as its machine gun picked off armors from afar, and whenever he came in close, he switched to his blade and with a single slash dismantled the machines. Without a stop, flying at least three times the speed of a normal GINN, this mobile suit was leaving a trail of destroyed mobile armors and dead pilots, as it closed in on its target, one of the Agamemnon-class battleships. Maneuvering slightly to the left and evading his beams, he flew under his CIWS range just meters away from its hull, before managing to stop for a second before the bridge and pointing his weapon at it. Next second, the under slung grenade leaves his gun and he accelerates high above, as the battleship careens sideways and soon strikes a friendly destroyer, sinking both of them down.
"That's five down." Millicas counted, as he maneuvered his mobile suit around a Moebius, before kicking it in the drive, sending it in spiral flight. "This Angel One to Sogdiana. Status update." Millicas requested of his Captain, as he fired a burst at another pair of Moebius armors.
"Sogdiana to Angel One. The Shroud is still inactive, our technicians are unable to determine and reactivate them. Junius One to Five are evacuated fully, but the others are still in the process, but still no response from the Home Defense Fleet." Captain Talia Gladys reported straight to Millicas, who suppressed a scoff, while bisecting a Moebius. "Commander, it appears… That we are here alone." Talia stated to him what he already knew.
"Yeah, I've had a suspicion." Millicas agreed, as he got a notification of a missile lock on him. "Maneuver Sogdiana on an intercept course of the First Fleet. Anything other than us tries to get past you- destroy it, but at a range. My sensors are picking up radioactive elements in some of these ships." That got a gasp from his captain.
"Do you mean…" Millicas wasn't able to respond to Talia, as he saw two dozen rockets heading his way, and directed his suit seemingly on a collision course with a frigate, only to veer off just enough to miss it, but for the missiles to hit the frigate and destroy it.
"Yes, I mean it." Millicas replied, as he continued to fight. "Unless Shroud is back online, we are all that stands between the EA and Junius City. Angels, status report!" Millicas commanded, and heard reports, but only from seven of his men.
"This Angel Two, running low on ammo of machine gun." Angel Two replied, as she dashed past him.
"Angel Six is here, got nicked in the left thruster, sir. Can still maneuver, but I'm leaking."
"Angel Ten, picking off their advance fleet with our cannons." Angels Eight and Nine reported the same.
"Angel Five, I'm empty, sir. Using my sword on them."
"Angel Eleven is here, getting low on primary ammo too and with the battery." Millicas waited, yet didn't get any response from Angels Three, Four, Seven and Twelve, and he knew the situation was getting out of hand.
"All who are empty and damaged, return to the ship. Support team, focus fire on the enemy flagship, I'm sending you targeting solution just now. I'll cover the retreat." Millicas ordered, sending the message to his support team, and dashed to cover his teammates withdrawal, as he used up the last of his rounds on four more armors. "Empty too." Millicas noted, as he flung his machine gun at the Moebius, drawing out his sword and rushing towards the enemy, taking out two armors within two seconds.
"Commander, you are empty! Withdraw, the Sogdiana will provide covering fire." Angel Two asked him over radio, as Millicas was going on a literal rampage, as the support team fired at the flagship, missing it.
"Negative, Angle Two! Get to the ship, refuel and restock, I'll keep the busy!" Millicas ordered, as he used his shield to crush a cockpit of another Moebius, before bisecting the second and then kicking the third one. "Support team, overshot! Correct by -0.0012 and 0.0007 degrees!" Millicas ordered, having calculated it in his head, even as the battle raged on.
"Damn, how in the world… C-correcting firing solution!" Angel Eight responded, with clear awe at his commander's abilities, as Millicas didn't let up, until his sword was shot out of his hand by a lucky round.
But in that moment the Support Team finally hit their intended target and it was clear shot, as the bridge lit up and then exploded, setting off a chain reaction around the ship, as it was torn apart and it's debris flung around, sent in all directions, many hitting the nearby ships and destroying or damaging them. At that moment, the flares went up and the ships finally started to reverse course and mobile armors turned back to their hangars, as Millicas withdrew his mobile suit, watching them retreat.
"Sogdiana and Angels, status." Millicas asked with a tired tone.
"Confirming, the enemy fleet is withdrawing, Commander." Captain Gladys reported, as he heard cheers and laughter on the intercom. "You did it, Commander, they are pulling back and the Junius City is safe."
"Hell yeah! We did it!" One of his pilots cheered. "That will teach them bastards to come to us like this!"
"Should we pursue, sir?" Angel Two asked.
"No… Let them go, we are not in the position to give chase. All units, let's get back to the ship and …" Millicas ordered, but then he was interrupted by a warning of a nuclear strike. "What?! How the hell… Damn it!"
"Commander, we are reading a nuclear warhead primed and ready! Intended target- Junius Seven!" Captain Gladys reported. "We… We can't intercept, it's…" Millicas didn't hear her and pushed his machine towards Junius Seven, but then his energy battery finally gave in.
"No, no, not now!" Millicas begged his machine, as it came to a halt, emergency reserve power lighting up, showing him the warhead leaving the lone armor, and heading straight to the colony.
Immobile, without power to move or even lift a hand of his mobile suit, all Millicas could do was watch with shock and terror as the nuclear warhead reached the midsection of the scale formed colony, and then the flash of the explosion blinded him…
January 25th C.E. 71. Heliopolis.
Jolting up with a sharp inhale, Millicas opened his eyes and after a few seconds realized that he wasn't in his mobile suit, but in his home in Heliopolis, the mining and production colony of Orb Union, away from the bloody conflict and months away from the tragedy now known as The Bloody Valentine Incident. Running his hand through his white-blonde long hair and wiping out the sweat, Millicas reminds himself that he was no longer on the battlefield, no longer at Junius Seven, Yggdrasil, Victoria, Grimaldy and Endymion. He wasn't ZAFT's First Ace, their Seraph of Junius City, or one of their top commanders, researchers and developers of Mobile Suits, for he had to leave it all behind, after learning things that he was not meant to learn.
Putting all those thoughts behind him, Millicas got up and after making his bed, a quick shower, dressing up and a light breakfast, he moved to his personal computer, activating it. While his PC was coming to life, Millicas took a moment to look at himself in the mirror, seeing a 22 year old handsome man, with a slightly messy mane of near white blonde hair reaching to the middle of his neck, eyes of silver looking back at him. Though well-built and standing at 6.1 feet, one didn't immediately assume that this man was once the biggest nightmare of Earth Alliance and ZAFT's most famous pilot, along with being a leading expert with several . to his name, yet Millicas was that and more. What most assumed immediately upon seeing him was that he is a Coordinator, and given his abilities, looks and his intellect, it was not a baseless assumption, and yet Millicas was not a Coordinator, at least not a full one.
He was a Hybrid, a naturally born son of a Natural and a Coordinator, without any augmentations, yet inheriting features of his parents, and a single thing that both radical Naturals and many Coordinators hated the most. The former saw them as abominations, spawn of demons and such, while the latter looked down on them as half-breeds, seeing them as flawed and inheritably inferior in all qualities to Coordinators. And while it is true, that Hybrids lack some of Coordinators' physical and mental abilities, but as Millicas has learned on his own example, initial lack meant nothing, if he could train, study and learn, and he did just that. Still, given the prejudice against the Hybrids from both sides, he usually didn't announce who he was and simply stuck with being perceived as a Coordinator.
Once he heard his PC activate, Millicas left his thoughts and turned to his computer, before speaking up.
"Establish private secure link through Channel B9-F. Authorization: Lucifuge Theta-Seven." Millicas ordered, and the PC did as it was told, and soon the monitor showed the face of Erica Simmons, chief engineer of Morgenroute Inc. in Orb. "Morning, Erica."
"Morning to you as well, Millicas." Erica greeted him, as Millicas took a cup of tea and drank from it. "Were you up all night again?" Erica asked of him, as she noticed, even after his shower, a certain glint in his eyes.
"No, only half of it." Millicas replied, as he tapped on the PC. "I was working on that problem with the primary subroutines on the Astrays that you talked about. Here, this should solve it." Millicas sent her the file, and Erica opened it on her end, surprised and glad to see it.
"Interesting, you've separated the process into several sections and automated their completion… This will solve the issue, thank you." Erica responded, with Millicas nodding to her. "I'm surprised how we didn't figure this out on our own."
"ZAFT had the same problem when they were developing GINN's OS. They made it too complex, probably thinking that the pilot will be able to keep up with everything." Millicas responded, recalling from his past, as he sipped his tea. "Before I came along, they've been trying to put all of their eggs in one basket, so to speak, thinking that they could solve the issue just like that."
"Yet they didn't manage to do it." Erica stated, as she looked at the data Millicas sent her. "Looks rather creative, unorthodox even. Is this the same schematic you used with the GINN and DRAKE?"
"What I used on GINNs was more akin to a crude patch, so it is closer to DRAKE, only optimized for the parameters we needed." Millicas replied. "Anyway, what are the news on your end?"
"We've optimized the mass-production of the Astrays, but we've still had no luck with the OS." Erica told him, with Millicas listening to her. "We can have entire battalions of them ready within a month, but without an effective OS to use on them, they'll be little more than a showpiece."
"So I've figured…" Millicas said, as he tapped his PC and sent a second package to Erica, surprising her. "Hence why I've not slept so well the last night. I think that should solve your issues, plus a bonus from our "good friends" from the Atlantic Federation." Millicas said with clear sarcasm, while Erica widened her eyes at what she saw.
"This… This is it! The OS, but how…" Erica asked of him, but one look on the smirking Millicas was enough to tell her. "Don't tell me you've had it all developed and done in the last night. I know you are good, Millicas, but not that good."
"Oh, but I am that good, because I've had this OS made a month ago. I just needed to test it out on an actual MS and then iron out any kinks that might've popped up." Millicas told Erica, surprising her. "Tested it out on the Lancer last night, under the pretense of running some tests on it, so the Federation doesn't know of it yet. Deleted the data afterwards, naturally."
"I see, and what is this bonus you mentioned?" Erica asked of Millicas, before she opened the file. "The schematics of all the G-Weapons, along with their weapons, systems and so on? How did you get all of that? I can understand the X108 and X310, but others…"
"Let's just say that I've been keeping myself busy this past week, given the fact that the Federation is sending their rooky pilots to train on them, along with their brand new carrier." Millicas replied.
"Then all of the G-Weapons are operational and ready?" Erica asked of him.
"Duel, Buster, Blitz, Aegis, Strike and Lancer are, but Raijin is not ready yet." Millicas answered, as he finished his cup of tea. "I'm still working out the integration of the primary systems into the frame, so right now it doesn't even have anything resembling an OS, though it is fully assembled."
"But will it even work? I saw the schematics you've sent us last week, and I still have doubts that you could put all of those essentials into the basis of the frame, instead of spreading it around the machine as a whole, like all do." Erica commented. "Not to doubt your abilities, Millicas, but are you sure this movable frame technology is worth it?"
"If I wasn't sure in it, I wouldn't have started working on it, especially with those Blue Cosmos cronies breathing so close to my neck." Millicas replied. "The new frame will not only reduce the general weight of the machines, but will also simplify the internals, which will ease the maintenance and also improve speed, maneuverability and energy consumption, along with armor, so Raijin will be able to take on everything there is. It will even be able to take on all of the other G-Weapons on its own, and still win."
"I'll trust your word on that, and I take you won't tell a thing to the Federation about it." Erica already knew the answer to it. "Keeping all the best to ourselves."
"Of course." Millicas confirmed. "They can have those six, we'll just make better ones anyway. Any news from the front."
"Like you predicted, ZAFT moved in on the Republic of East Asia and their main spaceport. Looks like they are proceeding as you've laid out- cutting off the supply line to the Moon and then moving in on the JOSH-A." Erica told him, with Millicas' face growing serious. "They've not had much success with Victoria, but from what our Intel tells us, they are mustering forces for another attempt within a month or so. Andrew Waltfield is in charge of planning, or so I've heard."
"If Andrew is the one in charge of this op, then Victoria will fall for certain this time. I do not envy the Eurasians." Millicas responded, as he looked at the time. "Anyway, I should be going to the facility. Anything else I should be aware of?"
"Yes, just one more thing." Erica got his attention. "Apparently, the Princess had managed to hitch herself a ride from Atlas City to Heliopolis. Lord Izumi asked me to tell you, to keep his daughter out of trouble."
"Knowing Cagalli, it's kinda of a tall order, but I'll manage. Talk to you later, bye." Millicas ended the call, and then left for his official work at Morgenroute.
While he was on his way to the parking lot through the park near his home, he saw several of the students from his college, Tolle Koenig, Miriallia Haw and Kira Yamato, watching the video on the latter's laptop. Curious, Millicas moved in and spoke up, drawing their attention.
"Anything interesting on the news?" Millicas asked with a small smile, getting the attention of the trio.
"Professor Shiba." Kira spoke up with a surprise, calling Millicas by the name he was known in here, with him chuckling to it.
"How many times should I tell you kids to stop calling me Professor? Makes me feel old." Millicas replied.
"Yet you are a Professor, and Professor Kato did say you have more . than he does." Tolle noted. "But I guess that's to be expected, since you are like our Kira here."
"No offense to Kira, but I know a few people of certain authority who would disagree with you." Millicas stated. "Anyway, just call me Shiro, at least when we are not in the college. Now, what is it that you are watching there?"
"Just a report of fighting. Looks like ZAFT are really starting to push the EA in Asia." Miriallia noted, before she turned to Millicas. "Do you think… Do you think Orb will be alright?"
"C'mon, Mir. Of course Orb will be alright. Why would anyone want to attack us? We are neutral, so of course we will be alright." Tolle stated to her with his usual cheery persona, while Millicas wasn't as optimistic.
"Neutrality is only sacred until someone decides that it is nothing more than a nuisance, or so I've heard my history professor tell me." Millicas said, souring the mood a little. "But to attack Orb would be a fool's errand for both EA and ZAFT right now, as it would only create another enemy for one of them, and they understand it. I may not be the biggest supporter of Athha government, but if Lord Izumi keeps us out of it all, then we should be alright. Anyway, enough about it. I imagine Kato's looking for the three of you by now, so let's go."
The four departed, and soon they ran into the three girls, one of them being Flay Allster, with Millicas suppressing a scowl at the mention of her last name, but keeping a neutral face, and not taking part in the conversation, until the girls departed, while Millicas eyed Kira, as he looked Flay with a telling eye.
"You know, you could always talk to her, Kira." Millicas drew the kid out of his mind, as he blushed.
"I… Flay is engaged to Sai, sir, and… I don't think that she'd be too interested in me." Kira said without much confidence, with Millicas patting him on the shoulder.
"If you ask me, Kira, then I think that you yourself can do much better than her." Millicas smiled to him, surprising Kira, as they sat in the automated car and drove to the facility.
Yet as they were moving through the colony, Millicas felt a slight chill run down his spine, an all too familiar and ominous sign of things that are about to go wrong. Any other person would've dismissed this feeling as a baseless spike in panic, but Millicas… All too often he had this strange sensation, and every time he had it, it was right before something serious and extremely dangerous was about to happen, like what had happened at Junius City. After all the months of war, this was enough of a warning for Millicas, and he could already suspect what may happen, so once they had arrived to the facility and headed towards their cabinet. Once there, Millicas immediately noticed an all too familiar blonde girl of 19 years dressed as a boy, in a rather poor attempt to disguise herself. Letting out a sigh, Millicas turned to the teens and spoke up.
"If you see Kato, tell him that I'll be in the processing plant. See you all later." Millicas waved them all, before turning to Cagalli and nodding her to follow him, as they exited the cabinet and headed out. "Cagalli, as much as I'm glad to see you, didn't I tell about how ill-advised it would be to come here, especially today?" Millicas turned to her, with the girl taking off her hat, as they moved through the corridors towards the special storage facility.
"And I told you, that I needed to see them. Given all the trouble these things can bring down on Orb, because of those Sahaku twins, at least I deserve to see the root of all the trouble, so to speak." Cagalli told him. "That and I've had enough of your aunt's company." To that Millicas only chuckled.
"She's only so hard on you because she sees your potential." Millicas told her, with Cagalli glaring at him a little.
"Look, I may appreciate all the lessons in politics, economics and other important stuff, but I just… I can't stand it how she seems to know everything better than anyone, like she is an empress or something." Cagalli stated with a sigh. "It still escapes me how the two of you are getting on so famously."
"She is biased towards me, that's all. I am her beloved nephew, after all." Millicas answered with a bit of a smile, before it faded and he turned serious. "But in all seriousness, Cagalli now is not the best time for visits."
"What has gotten you so worked up?" Cagalli asked of him.
"Let's just say I've got a really bad feeling, that's…" At that moment the building was shaken violently and a thunderous dull noise of an explosion was heard through the corridor.
"What… Was that an explosion?" Cagalli asked, with Millicas nodding to her. "You don't think that…" Cagalli didn't need to hear his response to know it.
"Come on, we've better hurry, this way." Millicas and Cagalli picked up the speed and ran through the corridors, before coming to the windows, seeing the GINNs outside in the colony.
"ZAFT! What the hell are they doing inside our colony?!" Cagalli said with anger. "They are firing inside it! Do they not care for the civilians?!"
"Some care, but I know a number who don't, and fewer still that would so blatantly attack." Millicas said, as he looked at the firing GINNs, before turning to Cagalli. "C'mon, we better hurry!" Millicas led her.
"Wait, aren't those Suits supposed to be in the loading bay or on its way there?" Cagalli asked of him, noting how they moved away from there.
"The first five are, but the last two and my own unit is not with the rest." Millicas answered to her, as they descended down the stairs and came across an entrance to the hangar. "If we are lucky, ZAFT won't know of it." Millicas took out his 9mm pistol, readying it, before opening up the door.
After checking the facility quickly and noting that no one was here, Millicas signaled Cagalli to follow him, and as she came out of the corridor, she was able to see the Mobile Suits she was so interested in. The first one she saw looked much like the Astrays she saw back in Orb, only more developed and with a different backpack that also included wings and a pair of cannons attached to it, along with a beam carbine and a small shield. Cagalli for a moment was transfixed with the machine, until Millicas stepped closer to her and spoke up.
"Hope you are satisfied." Millicas spoke up, before continuing. "GAT-X108 Lancer Gundam, a general-purpose MS developed from X105 Strike Gundam and its Striker Packs with the purpose of combining the most of those Packs into one package. Compared to it's older brother, it's got better maneuverability and speed, as well as integrated weaponry in form of those beam cannons, along with a variable beam gun, which can be used in carbine, rifle and sniper mode, plus a longer operational time."
"Okay, so you are gonna pilot it?" Cagalli asked of him, before he handed her a USB. "What's that?"
"A little patch, designed to make it compatible with Naturals. You'll need it, because you are taking it." Cagalli looked at him with shock in her eyes. "I've been keeping in contact with Erica, and she's been forwarding me footage from simulations and test runs of Astrays, so I know you can handle piloting an MS, and with this, you'll fly better than most pilots I trained." Millicas assured her.
"O-okay, then you are gonna take that one?" Cagalli asked of him, but Millicas shook his head.
"No, this one ain't ready yet, and our job is to make sure it doesn't fall into ZAFT's hands, no matter what." Millicas told her, as he walked to the control panel, and opened the doors. "I'll take this." Millicas pointed at the machine.
Inside, primed and seemingly ready for roll out stood a Mobile Suit of a different, yet also oddly similar design to the Morgenroute machines, with a few touches that gave away it's origin as ZAFT's weapon, though far less numerous than GINN, but perhaps just as infamous. AVMF-7E DRAKE, a limited-production high performance general purpose Mobile Suit, was once created as a rival to GINN by a non-state private company known as Vanguard Tech. Despite boasting exceptional combat and flight abilities, due to the fact that Vanguard Tech was a non-state company and due to the fact that DRAKE cost as much as five GINNS, and the fact that it was made with the usage of new tech, ZAFT decided to use their own produced GINN. The DRAKE was seemingly destined to be forgotten and shelved away, until one Millicas Lucifuge took an interest in it, and after performing a demonstrative flight and a mock battle against GINNs, convinced ZAFT to adopt it as an ace machine, dedicated for the pilots with enhanced special awareness and reflexes.
Boasting a sleeker, seemingly utilitarian, with an impressive number of thrusters for speed and maneuver, DRAKE is considered to be the pinnacle of the MS construction, and it remained the MS of choice for Millicas, who was always able to bring out the best in it. Even though Vanguard Tech was dissolved and it's personnel had left for Atlas City on Moon, enough spare parts and units remained to ensure that this machine was present on the battlefields. The unit here was with Millicas since Junius Seven, and even here, he continued to tinker and modify it, allowing DRAKE to utilize beam technology and also applying on it laminated armor, as well as improving its reactor and energy capacity. And though he was supposed to be dead for ZAFT, he could never let go of his iconic red with black and golden details color, and as he boarded the MS, Millicas once again felt himself where he belonged.
Picking up the red sharpened shield, a heavy 90mm machine gun with spare magazines, a 120mm sniper rifle and a sword, Millicas activate the MS in full, its twin green cameras coming to life on its head, which resembled more a GAT-X series than a GINN. With systems all green, Millicas moved out, as he saw Cagalli activating Lancer, as the Phase Shift Armor came to life, showing a golden, red and white coloring come to life. Opening a channel to her, Millicas spoke up.
"Cagalli, follow my lead. I'll take the front, you cover me. Use the gun in its current configuration, it'll be more than enough against the GINNs. The PS armor on your MS will shrug off anything that isn't a beam weapon, but don't forget to block with your shield." Millicas told her. "And no reckless moves. I tell you to move, you move, and do not push the trigger. Wait for the system to lock on, and then shoot, okay?"
"Yeah, got it!" Cagalli answered. "What about this machine, then?"
"Once we clear the area, we'll return for it. The trailer over there should suffice to move it, if we need to." After that, Millicas entered a command and the doors of the hangar opened, and the two MS left it, with the doors closing behind. "Okay, here we go."
Soon after they've left the hangar, they've noticed two GINNs moving towards them, stopping after seeing them, with Millicas already taking action, as he ordered Cagalli to ready her carbine, while he took his machine gun, activating thrusters and hovering away from the line of fire to the left. Surprised and startled by the fact that a DRAKE was here, the two pilots were unprepared for Lancer to open fire and strike the cockpit of the first one, while DRAKE aimed and took out second GINN's thrusters on the back. The damaged machine leaned forward and then fell to the side from the explosions near and on it, before it too went out, with DRAKE and Lancer standing victorious.
"Okay, those are done for good." Millicas commented, before opening a channel to Cagalli. "Cagalli, talk to me. How are you?" He asked of her, as she breathed in an out.
"I… I'm okay, just… I just killed that guy, like… Like it was nothing." Cagalli said with a slightly shaken tone. "It… It was almost like in the sims, but also… I just killed a guy, Millicas." She said, with Millicas knowing what she was going through.
"You did what you had to, not out of malice, but to protect yourself and Heliopolis." Millicas told her, trying to reassure her. "I'm sorry, Cagalli, but there is nothing we can do to prevent bloodshed. This is war now. If you want, you can stay and protect the hangar, I'll clear out the GINNs and be back for you."
"No… No, I'll be fine." Cagalli told him, as she steadied herself. "Just… Just don't leave me behind, okay?"
"I never leave my teammates behind, Cagalli." Millicas told her, as his radar picked up several more signals. "I've got ID on Strike and Aegis, just up ahead, along with a GINN. Same tactic- I lead, you cover."
"Yeah, I'm with you!" Cagalli told him, and the two picked up the pace and soon reached the clearing where they saw the GINN, Aegis and the struggling to move Strike. "That pointy MS, Aegis, why isn't it fire on GINN?"
"Because it was stolen." Millicas hissed, as he picked up the chatter from ZAFT.
"What the... A DRAKE here, and in this color scheme?!" A GINN's pilot, whom Millicas recognized as Miguel Aiman, spoke in shock. "Those animals, they dared to scavenge Commander Lucifuge's MS and use for their own means! Athrun, get out of here, I'll show these Natural scums what real MS ace can do!" And with this, Miguel took out his sword and prepared to attack them, as Aegis took off.
"Aiman, still hasn't learned a thing I taught him…" Millicas muttered to himself, as he took his machine gun. "Cagalli, focus on Aegis. Aim for the thrusters, I'll take care of the GINN." Cagalli acknowledged the order and readied her carbine, while Millicas moved to engage Miguel.
Unlike the two GINNs before, Millicas knew Miguel was one of the better pilots that ZAFT had, and one that could've worn the red uniform, if not for his attitude, which Millicas often pointed to him was going to be his undoing. A common malady that plagued ZAFT's military was it's superiority complex towards their opponents, believing that just because they were Coordinators they held a complete advantage over Naturals in every way. Millicas never shared that opinion, and during his time as an MS instructor he tried to instill the need to regard every battle with everyone seriously, yet unfortunately this message often didn't reach all of his students. Miguel was one such student, and now he was about to learn why he should've paid better attention in the academy.
Approaching Miguel in a maneuvering pattern with his MS, Millicas raised his machine gun, and with a single shot, took out his head mounted camera, rendering him blind. Then, before GINN could reach for its machine gun, DRAKE reached him and slashed him with the sharpened shield, taking out its arm and then kicking it down on the ground. The mobile suit tumbled and fell down, and Millicas brought the gun down and prepared to fire, before he saw the hatch open up and Miguel leaving, signaling to Millicas that he activated his self-destruct. Jumping with the help of thrusters away from it, Millicas watched the machine explode, before opening a channel for him, Lancer and Strike.
"Pilot of Strike, confirm that you are friendly." Millicas commanded, and then he heard a familiar voice come out.
"Professor Sh-Shiba?" Kira Yamato, of all people, spoke up, surprising Millicas. "I-Is that you professor? Wh-what are you doing i-in that mobile suit, a-and wh-who is in that one?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Kira, but we can discuss it later. Are you alright, Kira?" Millicas asked of him immediately.
"Uh, n-no, I'm okay, but th-there is woman with me here, sh-she was shot a-and she is bleeding…" Kira spoke up, with Millicas understanding him.
"Alright, Kira, calm down and listen to my instructions..." Millicas then proceeded to explain Kira how to settle Strike down and basics of it's operation, before he turned to Cagalli. "Cagalli, I'm not picking up any more MSs. What on your sensors."
"All clear, I've got lots of heat on monitors, but no MS and almost no life readings, safe for those ones." Cagalli spoke up. "I've hit Aegis a few times in its left thruster and I think I took it down, but he did wobble out of the colony."
"You've done well, Cagalli. Now, let's see to the survivors." After that, the two parked their MS and left them, joining the small group of teens from the college, the same one they've left not so long ago. "You guys… What are you doing in here?"
"We… We weren't able to get to the shelters because of the fighting." Sai Argyle spoke, before and others looked at the Mobile Suits. "D-do these belong to ZAFT, o-or are they Orb's?"
"Professor, how did you do it? You drove that Mobile Suit like it was nothing and took that GINN so easily. Were you a pilot before?" Tolle asked immediately, but then their attention got drawn to Kira, who was helping his passenger out of his MS. "Kira?"
"Okay, I promise to answer all of your questions, but right now I need your help. We've got ourselves a reprieve, but ZAFT will be back and soon." Millicas' past instincts kicked in and he started to give out orders. "Miriallia, help Kira set the wounded on the bench there, and mend her wound. Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, I need you three to go to the hangar 5 and retrieve from the trailer with Striker Packs. You'll recognize it immediately, it is large industrial trailer like one is used for resource transportation. I know you are scared and the last thing I want is to put you all in harm's way, but I'm afraid that right now, there is no alternative. I don't know how many more of GINNs will come, but if we are to stand a chance at driving them back for good, I need you to help me. Can you do it?" The teens looked to each other and then Sai spoke up.
"Alright, we will help, but only if you tell us why are they here." Sai demanded, with Cagalli glaring at him at that moment, but Millicas spoke up.
"They are here because of those two mobile suits and others that were developed here." Millicas let out a sigh. "Heliopolis served as the production and testing facility for the joint EA and Orb secret project, purpose of which was development on those machines. That is why ZAFT attacked, because of those mobile suits."
"B-but this is a neutral colony, h-how could Orb just allow it to happen?" Kuzzey asked, with Cagalli speaking up.
"Listen you guys, I know you are scared and shocked, but right this moment, we've got no time to debate all this. We can defend you, but we need your assistance, so we can effectively fight through this." Cagalli spoke up. "Do as Shiro says, and we will be fine. Now, is that clear with you? Good, then get to work!" Cagalli ordered, and the teens went to do as they were instructed, while she went to her own machine.
"Um, Shiro… What about me?" Kira spoke up, with Millicas turning to him.
"Yeah, about you… Who piloted the Strike?" Millicas asked of Kira, surprising him a little. "I've noticed there at the end, it seemed to get more stable, and I saw it move. I know it has an incomplete OS, incompatible with Naturals."
"I-I… I just worked on, wh-while you fought that guy." Kira admitted. "I'm sorry if I've…"
"Don't worry, Kira, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm actually impressed." Millicas admitted, as he looked at the Strike, before turning with the serious look to Kira. "Kira, I think you realize what I want to ask you."
"You want me to pilot that mobile suit again?" Kira asked of Millicas, and he nodded to him.
"Yes. I and my friend, we can fight GINNs and drive them off, but I've got no idea how many of them are out there, and I don't know if they are going to use the other Mobile Suits or not." Millicas spoke to him with full seriousness. "If they do decide to deploy them alongside GINNs, then we stand a serious chance to lose. If we are to survive and win, I need your help, Kira."
"Okay, I will, but only until its safe." Kira stated to him, with Millicas nodding to him.
"I wouldn't ask more of you, thank you." Millicas patted him on the shoulders, while Miriallia was done and the woman started to regain her conscience. "Easy there, soldier. You are safe." Millicas told the woman, as Miriallia passed her a bottle of water.
"Ugh, thank you." The woman spoke up, as she drank a little, while Millicas helped her on her feet. "Wh-what happened with ZAFT?"
"They withdrew, so we have a bit of a reprieve." Millicas spoke up, with the woman nodding to him. "You are with the EA forces, aren't you?"
"Y-yes. Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of Archangel , executive technical officer." Murrue spoke up, as she got a closer look at Millicas. "You… You are Lt.-Commander Shiro Shiba, aren't you? Chief engineer and designer of the G-Weapons?"
"Yes, nice to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant." Murrue nodded to him. "I'm afraid our situation isn't looking pretty. By the looks of things, Duel, Buster, Blitz and Aegis were appropriated by the enemy, and much of the facilities are done for. I have no information about your carrier ship, right now, so I'm assuming it was either disabled or destroyed. As it stands, all we have are X105 Strike, X108 Lancer and my DRAKE."
"DRAKE?" Murrue asked, before she saw the eponymous machine, with her eyes widening in surprise and shock. "A DRAKE... This mobile suit, how did you get it?" She asked of Shiro.
"A bit of a long story, best I tell it to you later." Millicas told her, with Murrue agreeing.
"Alright, but what about X310, and who pilots the Lancer with Strike?" Murrue asked of him.
"X310 is safe, though inoperable right now, and best left where it us, lest enemy finds it. As for X108, it's piloted by test pilot under my command, Cagalli." Millicas assured her, as he saw the trailer finally arrive to them. "I've also requested help of the civilians. Given the circumstances, maintaining of secrecy over the project is pointless, and we are shorthanded."
"I will keep it in mind. And Strike?" Murrue asked, with Millicas nodding towards Kira. "That boy…"
"He'll pilot it until it is safe." Millicas told her, as the trailer stopped the teens appeared from it. "Well done. Now, Kira, I want you to pilot the Strike and equip the Aile Pack with rifle and shield on it. I'll give you instructions via radio." Kira nodded and headed to the machine.
"The Aile Pack? But Strike looks powered down, and to recharge it will need Launcher Pack, since it has an auxiliary battery on it." Murrue remarked, with Millicas speaking up.
"I see you weren't updated. Originally, it was that, but I've modified the Aile Pack to also house an auxiliary battery." Millicas informed Murrue, and she nodded to him, while Millicas contacted Cagalli. "Cagalli, anything on the sensors and radio?"
"Only static, I've been trying to contact anybody, but aside from static and automated messages, I heard nothing." Cagalli reported, with Millicas moving to his DRAKE and getting in the cockpit.
"Then it's safe to say we should get ready for a new fight." Millicas said, as he got to the controls. "Keep yours open. Now, Kira, here's how you…" At that moment, another explosion in the structure of the colony was heard, and from the new hole flew out two machines. "Moebius Zero and… that CGUE, I know those colors!" Millicas activated his machine and immediately took off.
"Kira, mount the Aile Pack and rifle, there is an automated process! Cagalli, attach Snipe module to carbine and target this CGUE! I'll take him on!" Millicas ordered, as he took his machine gun and strafe the white and silver colored MS, getting his attention, as he opened the channel to it. "I should've known from the start that it was you, Rau."
"My, my, as I live and breathe… It has been quite a while, Commander Lucifuge. You sound rather well and hearty, for someone supposed to be dead." Rau noted with a hint of annoyance, as the two ace machines engaged one another in the aerial fight, exchanging volleys of fire.
"And you sound positively irritating." Millicas responded, as Rau tried to distance himself and used his shield mounted Gatling to drive Millicas off, with him responded with high-speed maneuvering and a targeted fire at Rau's Shield, disabling the cannon and then dashing to him at full speed, while giving orders to Kira and Cagalli. "Kira, Cagalli, watch CGUE's moves and target in advance. He'll dodge either low, or to the right, watch his thruster's movement and plan for it." Millicas instructed them, as he brought his machine gun and started firing.
"I see you've not slacked on your aim, but your DRAKE isn't as fearsome as it…" At that moment, Rau's CGUE was hit in the left leg as he dodged to the right, with a second beam damage the head. "Damn it!" At that moment, Rau La Creuset pushed his machine out of the fight, managing to dodge two more beam shots, but then he was hit multiple times by Millicas' machine gun, taking out his right thruster and forcing him to limp away.
"Did we get him?" Kira asked aloud.
"Yup, you did great, both of you." Millicas praised them. "Rau La Creuset… Of all the scum of the earth and space, I should've guessed it was you." At that moment, two plasma beams tore through the landing bay and out flew the Archangel, the intended carrier for the prototypes.
"What is that?" Kira asked again.
"That's the Archangel, the carrier ship for the mobile suits. Sturdy thing, doesn't look like it even got singed or anything." Cagalli noted.
"Yeah, if I recall it's specs, it can take more beating that an Agamemnon-class and packs four times the fire power… And it's locking missiles on me?" Millicas noticed, and then opened up a channel. "Archangel, this is Lt.-Commander Shiba Shiro in the red DRAKE! I repeat, this Shiro Shiba in the…" At that moment, four missiles exited tubes and headed towards Millicas, forcing him to maneuver and shoot down all four in mid-flight.
"Archangel, this Lt. Mu La Flaga of Moebius Zero! Hold you fire on that red MS, this is one of ours! I repeat, seize firing on this Mobile Suit." Millicas was surprised to hear the voice of the famous Hawk of Endymion.
"Understood, Lt. La Flaga. Apologies for the mistake, Commander Shiba." A female officer stated, with Millicas not responding yet. "We are setting the ship down and are prepared to receive you."
"Acknowledged, Archangel. We also have X105 and X108 nearby, both are friendly. Also, I need you to prepare a team to retrieve X310 and necessary equipment for it ASAP." Millicas gave out orders, before he turned the channel back to Kira and Cagalli. "Kira, Cagalli, bring your machines to the carrier." Once the ship was settled down and Millicas was certain that it was safe, DRAKE descended onto the catapult deck, with Millicas exiting it, descending down, where a small crowd was already gathered, with two other pilots there as well.
"Commander, this is Ensign Natarle Badgiruel." Murrue introduced the woman, who immediately saluted to Millicas.
"At ease, Ensign." Millicas said and offered her a hand, which she accepted. "Is this the entirety of your crew?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that captain, test pilots and much of the personnel was lost in the initial bombing. With the casualties we've sustained, Lieutenant Ramies is now chief officer of the Archangel." Natarle reported, with Millicas nodding to her. "As for your request, a team of technicians has been assembled, and are ready to retrieve the Mobile Suit."
"Good, then get it done. X310 is in hangar 11, here's the access key to it." Millicas passed the USB to the technician. "Make sure to retrieve all of the items from there, from ammo to spare parts, for all machines. I suspect we'll soon be making use of those."
"If I may, Commander." Natarle spoke up again. "About your units, who are these two pilots and how in the world did you come into possession of this machine?"
"The girl is a test pilot and my assistant, and the other is a civilian who agreed to help us, along with his friends." Millicas stated. "And as for this particular MS, it's…"
"AVMF-7E DRAKE, a high-performance mobile suit, designed specifically for the aces of highest caliber, possessing more than three times the speed, maneuverability and two times operational time of a normal GINN." A new voice entered the conversation, revealing the famous Hawk of Endymion, Mu La Flaga, as he walked and looked at the crimson mobile suit. "First deployed on February 14th C.E. 70, at the battle of Junius Seven, where it scored seven ships and 71 mobile armors, and that's confirmed kills. That one Mobile Suit near single-handedly decimated the 1st Fleet and slowed to the crawl it's advance, while taking out mobile armors like they were only flies… And all the most pilots could see was a veritable Red Comet, the only sign of your impending doom from the Seraph of Death." Mu La Flaga finished in a dead serious tone, as he turned to face Millicas, with his face mirroring the Mu's in seriousness, while all others were silent.
"That same Mobile Suit and its pilot were in nearly every battle since, from Yggdrasil to Endymion, leading the Angels of Death, and everywhere they went, death followed, and their commander always reaped the most. I hear the man had the highest score in all of ZAFT, and was considered their First Ace and regarded as a living legend, until it was supposedly killed in an ambush, set by EA." Mu continued. "I personally never bought that story. I saw that pilot myself too many times to know that he wouldn't go down like that… And now I saw him fly again and make Rau La Creuset look like a greenhorn."
"I'd much prefer to see him dead, if that is alright by you." Millicas stated, with Mu chuckling at it, as the latter extended a hand to him.
"It's been a while, Red Comet." Mu said to him, with Millicas accepting his hand and shaking it.
"Likewise, Hawk of Endymion." Millicas said to him.
"Um, Professor Shiba, what's going on?" Kira asked, with Mu deciding to answer.
"Sorry, kid, but I'm afraid your professor here is more than your usual teacher. His name is Millicas Lucifuge, and he is ZAFT's First Ace, also known as the Seraph of Junius Seven and Red Comet of Jachin Due." Mu La Flaga stated, and the entire deck went silent from shock, as all knew this name, the name of the first Mobile Suit pilot and the first and greatest ace of ZAFT.
Didn't think I would ever come back to Gundams, but it looks like I'm getting back to my roots. Hello everyone, my name is Ronin, and this here is my new story, which some may say is my reboot of a VERY old and deleted story of mine. Recently, I've rediscovered my love of Gundams, the thing that originally brought me into the anime to begin with, and so I've decided to try my hand at writing them again and see if it works. SEED was one of the first ones I watched, and recently I rewatched the first series fully again, and so I've based my story in it.
Now, as for my OC, I've decided to go with a bit older than normal Gundam standard pilot, and as you can see, he borrows HEAVILY from Char Aznable, almost getting to be his clone, with his name, Millicas actually being a combo of Milliardo Peacecraft and Casval Rem Deikum (Char's real name). And for those more informed and attentive ones, yes, I did essentially take the name from DxD anime (also one of my very firsts), which features a character by the name of Millicas Gremory, with his mother having the family name of Lucifuge. I will admit that I did struggle with naming my character, and this… This just stuck with me and I went with it, hope you can bear with it.
So, about Millicas… He is like a combo of Tony Stark and Char Aznable, an inventor and a master pilot, only without the baggage of the two, though with his own baggage. I've also decided to age up Cagalli, so their relation wouldn't be as awkward as it may have seemed if she were of her original age. Oh, and don't expect her to be Kira's twin, because that plotline was rather pointless and unnecessary in my opinion, only needed for her and Athrun to get to together.
Now, as for the Mobile Suits, the GAT-X108 is based on Build Strike Gundam from Build Fighters, with more of a Cagalli's color scheme, while AVMF-7X DRAKE was actually inspired by a AMS-123X Varguil, the prototype for Sazabi, though more or less scaled to fit SEED with a head of a Sinanju Stein. It is basically ZAFT's version of Tallgease, if it were not rejected and still used by OZ, but wasn't the basis of their MS. And as for Raijin… Well, he will come later, I assure you.
Now, hope you like my new story, and give it your support through reviews, suggestions for future events, romance options, or ask questions about it. I appreciate feedback as it helps me get better at my work.
Next time: Reactions to Seraph's appearance; fight out of Heliopolis; flight to Artemis.
See ya!