Gundam SEED: A Galactic Power

by Apollo Adama

My Gundam story that merges the Gundam SEED series with the Star Wars universe. Thrown in is a little StarCraft, Halo, Stargate and Battlestar Galactica, along with a bit of modern day tech for flavor. It's not a galaxy so far far away after all. It's clo

2. Prelude

September 23 CE 74
Mechis III
Former Capital of the Galactic Droid Federation

At the Unified Earth Forces base located in the capital city of Mechis III, a ceremony had just concluded to mark the transition of power from the Earth Alliance and ZAFT military to the New Republic Peacekeeping and Reconstruction Force. The Unified Forces had taken the planet after a bloody space battle. The remnants of the Galactic Grand Fleet and the employment of the Ultimate Gundam by Viceroy Vilnus had destroyed over a quarter of the UE strike force. The ground battle had resulted in similar casualties as Mechis III's Battle Droid armies and its handful of living soldiers had fought hard against the Earth Alliance and ZAFT troops. The battle had decimated the city. Now it was time for the Earth Alliance combat personnel to leave and allow the Republican peacekeepers to rebuild the battered world.

The last Earth Forces troops to leave were D Company, 58th Raider Battalion, 1st Infantry Division (Mobile). Under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Commander Robert Cottuli, they marched up the ramp of their Assault Transport. These soldiers were not ordinary UE troops however. They were some of the elite soldiers that once were part of the United Nations Space Command and had been put in cryogenic stasis following exposure to a deadly biological weapon and forgotten about until an Earth Alliance infantry patrol had stumbled upon them during the low point of the war with the GDF. A ZAFT science team had revived and treated them, along with millions of other UNSC troops, with a newly available vaccine. They had proved a valuable asset to the inexperienced Earth Forces.

"We're ready to go, Commander," the transport pilot said over the radio. "Delta is fully loaded and its heavy equipment is already been taken off world."

"Alright then," Cottuli radioed back, "takeoff when ready. I'll be heading out behind you in my Defender."

The Assault Transport raised its boarding ramp and began to ascend toward space. Cottuli saluted the departing ship, then turned and began walking towards his TIE Defender starfighter, looking around at the newly arrived New Republic troops. Over by a reviewing stand stood a group of politicians and diplomats watching the soldiers parade past. Bobby shook his head, remembering there were more politicians aboard ships in orbit to confirm the withdrawal of all the Alliance forces from the planet by counting the transports and fighters as they flew by. Something nagged at him, but he couldn't place what it was. Climbing into his TIE, he remembered that the Bothan Confederacy was putting up over 60 of the cost of the rebuilding effort, but almost all the peacekeeping troops were coming from the other ten member states that were supporting the rebuilding effort. Maybe that's it. The Bothans always make me suspicious. He fired up his twin ion engines and tookoff, flying low over the remains of the city's industrial sector. Most of this section had been largely reduced to rubble by UESF planetary bombardment and by demolitions teams that had been charged with dismantling Mechis III's war production facilities. However, three huge factories remained. "Fucking eye sores," Cottuli said to himself. "Those things should have been taken down with the rest of them." The remaining plants that built the GDF's Battle Droids, drone starfighters, small arms, and capital ships were all piles of rubble now due to Earth explosives. Except for the GDF mobile doll production facility. Sometime before the end of the ground campaign, it had been converted completely into a toy factory, building cheap robot dolls that you gave to small children. Following the war, the Republic had classed it as off the list of demolitions. Alliance and ZAFT officials had still wanted it leveled and had sent an attack squadron to take them out, only to have the strike group intercepted by NR starfighters that had been sent to guard the factories. Swooping in low, Cottuli now saw that the place was crawling with Bothan Confederacy soldiers. Hundreds of them! And this sector was supposed to be under the control of the regular New Republic Army, not the member state peacekeepers. Better have Intel check into this. Have them leave some recon probes behind to keep an eye on things. Pulling back on the control yoke, the TIE Defender roared up into the heavens. He quickly passed by the newly arrived Republican fleet, which confirmed that the last Earth Alliance military craft was off world, and headed for the remaining Earth Forces task force waiting beyond them. He'd make sure the Bothans were watched, and Bobby transmitted a tight beam signal to one of the ships and landed aboard the Modified Corellian CR90 Corvette Phoenix. With any luck they'd be able to find out what they were up to. As the fleet turned about to exit the system, a frigate released a dozen stealthy recon probes into low orbit over the planet, where they easily blended in with the debris from the battle. With that task done, they entered hyperspace for home. The Unified Earth Defense Forces had finished its withdrawal from the former Galactic Droid Federation.

Aboard a Republic diplomatic corvette, one man watched the fleet enter hyperspace and smiled. "Our hand is almost complete."