Ayashi no Yuugi
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 11: Nautilus Strike Part III
Serenity Maxwell: All will be made known in due time. As for when we see Shinigami again, all I can tell you is that he and the other G-boys will make a brief appearance in the Nautilus Strike portion of the story. I can't say where and when though. It would ruin the story for you, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?
Previously, on Ayashi no Yuugi…
April 23 AC 198; 10:34 AM
CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, Central Command Center
"Twenty hundred Nautilus uniforms have been reported in hotels in a two block radius of the Emperor Hotel!"
"Two hundred unidentified MS and MD lining up along the path of L4 shuttle 5983 to colony L2. Possible target, Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, Princess of the Sanq Kingdom!"
11:01 AM
CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters, Central Command Center
A woman… dressed in a navy blue Lieutenant's uniform … frowned as reports from various contacts and agents began coming in.
"Incoming message from Orbital Base Futune!"
12:00 PM
Colony L6, CSA Spica Academy Auditorium
"…the enemy mission codenamed Nautilus Strike will take place at 1200 hours. The presumed target: Miss Relena Dorlian Peacecraft!"
…"…you will graduate from Spica Academy as fully fledged Cosmos Star Agents, and you will find yourself thrown into the midst of war. …we are doing this… to prepare you for life in a war torn world…"
April 23 AC 198; 10:05 PM
Colony L4, Emperor Hotel
Gaia stood in the hotel room she shared with Cosmos …her hair in a bun pinned flat against her scalp, her eyes glowing… behind the silvery mask.
…Cosmos whispered. "…Nautilus Strike is scheduled to take place in one hour and fifty-five minutes..."
"Hurry!..."
"Hai…!"
Gaia … leapt lightly over the rail… and vanished into the embrace of the night.
10:45 PM
Goro Residence, 361 Silver Ave. L4
Gaia… targeted the Goro family quarters, killing every person…
Her eyes were cold… as she approached the bedroom of her main target.
… "You should have thought of the consequences before you tried anything, but it's too late now…"
Pause.
"Sayonara, Goro Fujita."
Gaia slid her kodachi between his ribs and into his heart.
April 24 AC 198; 12:00 AM
Emperor Hotel, Colony L4
Soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Nautilus… stood before the door of room 123, the room in which Relena Dorlian Peacecraft slept peacefully…
…A figure… with a silver mask covering her eyes burst out… a drawn katana in hand.
In …two minutes, the Nautilus soldiers … were dead…
… the glass balcony doors shattered and dozens of Nautilus soldiers swarmed in.
Mission Nautilus Strike had begun.
April 24 AC 198; 12:15 AM
Emperor Hotel, Colony L4
Cosmos … was cursing her partner for taking so long with her assignment…
…the wall blasted apart and a … figure dressed in black wearing a silvery mask entered.
"What is going on here?" Gaia asked…
All movement in the room ceased.
…with a flick of her wrist, several grenades flew forward… and the only thing left of the Nautilus soldiers in the room were bits and pieces of flesh and bone and… a corpse or two or three lying around in large pools of blood.
"Pack," Gaia snapped. "We're leaving."
The … women vanished into the night.
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4:05 AM
L4 Shuttle 5983 to Colony L2
Relena sat between her bodyguards apprehensively. The events of the previous night proved them to be deadly beyond comprehension, efficient yet horrifyingly brutal.
Gaia studied her charge from behind the screen of her laptop.
…"Get some rest …," Gaia's voice was bland. "…you could use the sleep."
Relena …closed her eyes.
4:10 AM
Colony L2 CSA Orbital Base, Gosroth, Central Command Center
… "Report from Subject Specimen 07 Cosmos and Subject Specimen 08 Gaia!"
"Phase one of Nautilus Strike has been successfully countered. The Dove is unharmed and on her way to L2. Anticipating Phase two."
"Enemy MS are coming to life! They are taking on an attack formation!"
"MS Team Dark reports that more enemy MS are approaching the target!"
"Contact Battleship Goldstreak! Order her to D5, H6!"
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Subject Specimen 02 Shinigami
Enemy Mission codename Nautilus Strike is currently in progress.
Subject Specimen 07 Cosmos and 08 Gaia have successfully repelled phase one, the terren attack, of the Nautilus Strike. Phase two is predicted to be a space attack, as numerous MS are lined up along the path of the colony L4 shuttle 5983 to colony L2. As 07 and 08 are on said shuttle guarding the Vice Foreign Minister, they will be unable to use their Gundams to repel the second attack.
Your mission is to lead the original Gundam Team, trained by Dr. J, to intercept the enemy MS and guard the shuttle.
The coordinates are Gamma 24, Beta 34, Alpha 3, Omega 17, Sector G, point D4, C6.
Subject Specimen 09 Omnyouji and 10 Sakurazukamori have been alerted. They are assigned elsewhere, and it is doubtful that they will reach the coordinates in time to prevent the attack.
CSA Admiral Kaze will accompany you with his Tallgeese.
CSA Battleship, First Class, Level 12, Goldstreak will be in attendance should you require extra assistance.
Do not call on Goldstreak unless in an extreme emergency.
Dr J's pilot 01 will receive a similar email containing needed information. He will alert the other pilots of the mission.
You depart at once.
Mission accepted or decline?
Madame S
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Madame S.
Mission Accepted.
Subject Specimen 02 Shinigami
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Admiral Kaze, Commander of CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune
Subject Specimen 07 and 08 have successfully repelled Phase one, the terren attack, of the Nautilus Strike. As you already know, Phase Two is believed to be a space attack. 07 and 08 cannot access their Gundams as they are onboard the shuttle as the Vice Foreign Minister's bodyguards. Subject Specimen 09 and 10 are on their way to intercept the enemy MS, but it is doubtful that they will arrive on time.
You will join Subject Specimen 02 and the original GT trained by Dr. J to guard said shuttle with your Gundam Tallgeese.
Mission accepted or decline?
Madame S
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Madame S
Mission Accepted
Admiral Kaze, Commander of CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune
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01
Numerous unidentified MS have been detected lining up along the path of the L4 shuttle headed for L2, on which Relena Dorlian Peacecraft is a passenger. As 07 and 08 of GT Kamikaze are guarding the Vice Foreign Minister, they cannot access their Gundams. 09 and 10 of GT Kamikaze are assigned elsewhere and have been alerted, though it is doubtful that they will arrive in time.
All remaining Gundams are to be deployed for the following coordinates to protect the shuttle at once.
06 will be joining you.
02 will take command of this mission.
Accept or decline?
J
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Dr. J
Mission Accepted
01
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April 24 AC 198; 5:05 AM
Colony L4, Winner Mansion
"Injustice!" Wufei yelled after Heero finished debriefing the pilots on their latest mission. "Why would J give the baka command over the mission? He didn't even listen to your debriefing. He-"
"He was debriefed by Madame S, the trainer of GT Kamikaze."
The pilots (excluding Heero who just raised an eyebrow) jumped the iciness of Duo's voice. They turned and stared (or glared in Heero's case) at the Deathsythe pilot, who was wearing a lightweight red spacesuit with a light but strong grey plastic chest and shoulder guard, reinforced by a thin layer of steel in the core. The number 02 was on the shoulder of his right arm in black. Under his left arm was a red padded helmet to go with the suit. Two guns were in their holsters strapped to his waist, and a knife was sheathed in the small of his back. His normally cheery cobalt eyes had changed to an icy, flat, and uncompromising shade of violet. His pale face, normally shifting to show his emotions was blank.
"Let's go," Duo said in the same icy and emotionless voice.
The other pilots stared at the Deathsythe pilot as he walked out of the room toward the hanger, shocked by the sudden change in his demeanor.
There was a click of a safety being turned off and Duo stopped in his tracks.
"Omae o kuroso."
Duo turned, his face blank, and raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you and who do you work for?"
Duo's face never changed. "That is classified information."
"Who are you and who do you work for?"
"That is classified information unless proper authorities approve request for said information."
Heero's laptop bleeped and Dr J's face appeared on the screen. "Subject Specimen 02. Basic Information release to Gundam Pilots 01, 03, 04, and 05 authorized by Madame S, Professor G, and Dr. J."
The screen went blank.
"Acknowledged." Duo said, his eyes dulling into black. "Experiment Z68GX230, Subject Specimen 02, Shinigami, codename Duo Maxwell, colleague of Gundam Pilots 01, 03, 04, and 05," Duo's voice became flat and impersonal. "Startup Date: December 12, 182 AC. Purpose: Pilot of Gundam Deathsythe. Emergency Startup precautions: SS02. Emergency shutdown precautions: Maxwell Church Tragedy. Scheduled Termination Date: November 25, 208 AC. Additional information: Classified."
Duo's eyes returned to normal and he said, "Let's go. We have a mission to take care of." And he turned and walked off.
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Mitsuki Cosmos: Shinigami has a termination date? Not even Heero has a termination date! You didn't consult me about this!
Kamui Gaia 07: Sorry, Mi-chan, but the termination date was a spur of the moment type of thing. Besides, I didn't just throw that in there just for fun. The termination date is a foreshadowing of when the main body of GT Kamikaze, namely Subject Specimen 02, 07, 08, 09, and 10 leave the GW dimension for another mission, but that'll be an entirely different fic altogether.
Mitsuki Cosmos: I see. Just consult me about things like that before just throwing them in. Anyway, the 'Nautilus Strike' arc was originally planned to be one chapter, but then it just got way too long, so we decided to split it into two different chapters.
Kamui Gaia 07: But even that was too long! Therefore, we split it into a bunch of chapters at least five pages long each.
Cosmos: Please review, onegai!