Valiant, Flagship of Earth Alliance General Woodrow Bradford, October 31, C.E. 71, 0900.
The Valiant drifted almost silently through the black space just beyond the gravitic stability line of the L5 Colony Group. Beside it was the Intrepid, the Jani's spiked bow almost appearing to gouge stars out of the space beyond. It was mid-morning and Bradford was just arriving on the bridge. "Morning sir," Seymour greeted him.
"Captain McKinley," Bradford acknowledged. He sat down in his chair and activated a console in the chair's arm rest. "What's the status of the second operation?"
"Four hours and counting sir," Lester reported. "The 6th Fleet has already rendezvoused with the rest of 7th and they're being resupplied as we speak, sir."
"Very good," Bradford answered. "Keep up the good work." He watched the data scroll across the tiny screen in the chair's arm rest and rested back against the chair's cushioned back. He could still vividly remember the image of Boaz being engulfed by that white light the day before and ceasing to exist. Today would be much of the same for its twin, Jachin Due, the target of the second operation.
Just then an incoming message arrived for Bradford. He looked at the time it was sent and was puzzled. "This was sent yesterday, Ensign. Why am I only getting this now?"
"Decoder delays possibly, sir," Tomer answered. "It was supposed to be going out to all fleet commanders but for some reason it wasn't sent directly to you. It's markings indicate that it's from the Dominion, sir."
Bradford sighed and he opened the message on the console. His eyes read the words quickly and his mind indulged them with growing tension as the message dragged on. The last few sentences brought fire to Bradford's eyes and his hand began visibly shaking as it held the arm rest of his chair. The old eyes seemed to burn with the fire's of hell behind them when he finished and the strong, white teeth were compressed tightly together inside the closed mouth. "Damnation," he swore as he stood up from his chair and began walking to another part of the bridge. "Get me Captain Norris!" he ordered harshly.
"Sir?" Seymour asked.
"Wait, Seymour. Brock, do you read me?"
The static filled view screen took upon the image of Captain Norris on the Intrepid. "Woodrow? What's the problem, sir?"
"Brock issue command to all ships to begin mobilization immediately!" Bradford commanded with an angered voice. "They're to weigh anchor and launch into L5 as soon as they're ready!"
"General, what happened?" Brock asked. "What's the problem?"
"The problem is Brock, that the target of the second operation was changed yesterday and the people in L5 made it so I wasn't informed until just now," Bradford answered, his anger building. He shut his eyes and added darkly, "Sutherland and Azrael are skipping past Jachin and going straight for the PLANT homelands."
"What?" Norris gasped angrily. Seymour's body went stiff in his chair as did Lester's and Tomer's at their respective stations. The three friends looked to each other for answers, but they each were just as shocked as the others. Norris shook his head. "Damn...bitch Azrael."
"Precisely," Bradford said. "Get the ships moving and have them regroup around us. See if we can get close enough to make any sort of difference."
"Yes, sir!" Norris' image disappeared.
"General Bradford?" Seymour asked as Bradford sat back down in his chair. "If they go straight for the PLANTs they'll be disregarding the plan that was stated at the Lunar Base. That's a blatant violation of military standard-!"
"I know, Captain!" Bradford responded sternly, shutting Seymour up. "That's exactly why we're moving now." He shook his head. "I should've known...how could I have let this pass...letting Blue Cosmos people like Azrael and Sutherland give me orders."
Seymour's eyes widened in shock. "Sutherland's Blue Cosmos?"
"Yes," Bradford hissed. "He's letting his hatred of Coordinators motivate him into going straight for the Coordinators' themselves. In the process he's letting the enemy hold itself together and giving them a chance to regroup."
"It's too simple," Seymour added. "ZAFT is going to be setting up a defensive line around the PLANTs. They'll anticipate that we'll be hitting them there next. If that's the case then..."
"Exactly," Bradford finished. "I fear Azrael and Sutherland may have just begun to lead our forces into a trap. And if that's true...I shudder to think what will happen then."
ZAFT Space Fortress Jachin Due, 0915.
With the hour-glass shapes of the PLANT homelands in the background, the forces gathered at Jachin Due raced against the clock. They knew full well that another Earth Alliance fleet was going to be upon them in a matter of hours and they also knew that the force would be carrying nuclear weapons. At this moment, Jachin was relatively close in proximity to the PLANTs, only about a ten minute distance away from them, which meant that if Jachin were to fall, the PLANTs would have no defense left against the barbaric Earth Forces. The soldiers at Jachin knew they had to stop the Earth Forces soon, or all would be lost.
Inside Jachin's command operations room, Yuri and Gilbert stood side by side in front of a window, gazing out at the dark space in front of them and the ships moving quickly within it. So far they'd managed to cobble together a force that would match the Earth Forces in size, but they knew full well that they would be lacking in firepower. That was...until it was ready to be used. What they'd been using the N-Jammer Cancellers to help design ever since their use was authorized in the construction of the Freedom and the Justice. It had taken many months, but it was finally operational. They both knew that it would be used soon. When the Earth Forces attacked, they would really have no choice but to use it. It was either that or let the PLANTs become sitting ducks for the Naturals' nuclear weapons. The question on both of their minds right now was...then what would happen?
"All six units of the 71st Mobile Suit Corp are reporting good conditions on the flanks, General," Gilbert's subordinate Rinaldo reported from behind the two. "The Earth Forces haven't shown any signs of movement since late last night."
"Are they waiting to be resupplied?" Gilbert asked Yuri.
"That's what we're supposing," Yuri answered quietly. "Why else would the Naturals wait this long to come after us? Our analysis says that another fleet of their ships rendezvoused with the Boaz attack force and they are still waiting just beyond us. We're anticipating they'll be coming here, but...we can't be exactly sure of what the enemy's thinking inside that twisted mind of his."
Gilbert turned his head ever so slightly and said, "What do you believe they'll do, General?"
Yuri sighed quietly through his nose. "I don't know...but I'm presuming the worst. That's why we're setting the defensive lines around the PLANTs as a precaution. At least if they hit Jachin that will buy us even more time to think of something else."
"We'll fight our hardest to protect the homelands, you have my assurance of that my friend," Gilbert said proudly. "Even if the Earth Forces do come right at the homelands...all your forces will have to do is buy enough time for us to..." Gilbert's voice trailed off at the reality.
"Yes..." Yuri responded quietly. They both had anticipated the weapon would be used only in the defense of the PLANT homelands, just as the situation now implicated. But deep inside both of their hearts...they never dreamed it would come to this. Neither of them had wanted it to come to this. Why would they? Using a weapon of that power...it made them shiver inside.
The door to the command room opened in order to admit Patrick, Ezalia, Tad, and Rau, who had just arrived from Aprilius One after a heated night of calls and warnings coming in from all fronts. Bags were clearly visible under all four sets of eyes as they walked briskly into the room. Yuri and Gilbert turned on their heels and saluted smartly. Patrick returned it. "What's the status Yuri? What are the Naturals doing at this moment?"
"They're resupplying their ships within the asteroids a little ways away from us, Your Excellency," Yuri answered, stepping towards the raised display in the center of the room. "They haven't made any movements since they met up with the new forces last night. Right now they're giving us more time to ready ourselves."
All six individuals stepped up to the display. While Yuri and Gilbert each looked at it with calm expressions, Patrick was stunned by what he saw. The display was a giant electronic board of some sort, with a square of equal length over each area of L5 beneath it. They could see the PLANTs and Jachin Due on the image below the board. "What of our own forces?" Patrick asked.
Gilbert turned to his subordinate and said, "Rinaldo, the pieces please." Rinaldo nodded and went to fetch a box that was sitting on the end of the display. He turned the box over and spilled its contents onto the board. Yuri and Gilbert each reached down with their hands and grasped the black and white pieces in their palms. They began setting the pieces up along the board, which included knights, kings, queens, and pawns. The standard pieces of chess.
"What is this, you two?" Patrick demanded.
Gilbert looked up from the board and stared flatly at Patrick. "Strategy board, Your Excellency."
Outside Jachin's rocky surface, the Vesalius drifted with the other ships that made up the defensive line around the PLANTs. The blue Nazca had been given an entire squadron of GuAIZ mobile suits that morning along with their pilots. Yzak was talking to a commander through the radio inside the Duel's cockpit. "These six are going to be under your command during the battle, Lieutenant Commander Joule. Congratulations on your promotion by the way."
"Save it," Yzak scowled. "I only got it because we lost so many people at Boaz, you idiot!"
"Er...yes...I'm sorry," the other man answered. "As it stands now, you'll be stationed in the 6th defensive quadrant of the line." A small circle appeared on the small map on the diagnostic board. "You'll be guarding the left flank because we believe that's where the enemy is going to strike if they in fact are coming directly for the homelands. We're moving our most experienced forces there as we speak, which includes you and your unit. Any questions?"
"No," Yzak responded sternly. "Thank you."
The other man's image disappeared quickly, leaving Yzak alone. He sighed angrily as he sat back in the chair inside the cockpit. He shut his eyes and retreated into his mind. He couldn't forget seeing that white light appear where Boaz once was. Seeing all those fellow Coordinators perish in that one eye blink. It seemed unreal. All of it. The war. The battles. Everything. Even the friends he'd lost...Miguel...Rusty...Nicol...Yzak wasn't one to admit it, but he had cared deeply for all of his squad mates. Even Athrun...that traitor.
Yzak scowled lightly. Athrun... Even thinking about the blue haired coward made Yzak remember simpler times. Before the war...when they had just been friends running about without a care in the world. Then the Bloody Valentine happened. Everything seemed to happen in the blink of an eye after that. Heliopolis. Artemis. Africa. Orb. Alaska. Cuba. Jachin Due, just a month earlier. It all seemed so distant now. How quickly time had passed. How quickly Athrun had gone from a close friend to a traitor.
He remembered something his mother Ezalia had told him just after he had joined the military. "We're counting on you back here, son. You'll be our only hope to win this conflict and bring back peace. The Naturals will stop at nothing to destroy us. We're counting on you to make sure that they don't." Yzak sighed. "You'll have to subdue all the enemies in order for us to win. That includes traitors, you know that right? Good. Be careful. I love you, son."
Mother...Yzak thought sadly. He opened his eyes and felt his heart will with confusion and grief. This war had indeed taken much out of him. He was no longer a child. He was a full grown man...a man who had killed without any regret. A man who had fought against his former comrades in the debris belt just a few weeks before. Former comrades like Athrun. Lacus. Even...Dearka.
"Father, I only want to talk!" He heard Athrun's voice. At Jachin Due the month earlier. Pleading with his father, Chairman Zala. After Athrun had been declared a traitor. "Why are you doing this? You'll cause pointless deaths on either side!"
"Where did we want to go? What did we want?" He heard Lacus Clyne's voice...over the radio broadcast...after she'd been declared a traitor. "Even as I speak, we are losing our loved ones on the battlefield." Yzak still couldn't believe it. How could she...the girl who sang of peace and serenity with her beautiful voice...possibly be a traitor to the PLANTs? If it were up to Yzak...but it wasn't up to him. It was the military and the higher ups who declared people traitors, not him. It seemed that lately...everyone had been declared a traitor. Former Chairman Clyne was dead after allegedly providing assistance to the Earth Forces. But there was real proof against it. Only assumptions and rumor. Senator Canaver and the others who had been detained months before for allegedly assisting Lacus and the Clyne Faction's theft of the Eternal. That too was only rumor...there was no evidence against them. And still...they all had been declared traitors...which meant they were his enemies. Enemies...? Yzak thought to himself. If they were his enemies, then...that meant that he was his enemy as well...
"Yzak!" He could hear his...friend Dearka's voice. In the debris built...during combat...calling out to him and protecting him from the enemy. Dearka had been his best friend for most of his life. How could he possibly...? But he was a traitor. He was siding with Lacus Clyne and the Orb forces. Enemies to the safety of the PLANT homelands! Sure Yzak was happy that Dearka was alive after all these months, but still! He was an enemy! Enemies...? Yzak groaned heavily inside the cockpit, trying to tell his mind to get ahold of itself. He had more important things to worry about. The Naturals were coming with nuclear weapons and it would be up to him to stop them. To protect the innocents inside the PLANTs. Even if that meant fighting against his former comrades... Enemies...? Yzak kept repeating that word in his mind over and over as time ticked slowly by.
"The defensive lines will spread out in an attempt to draw the Earth Forces' attention away from the PLANTs. Our main strategy will be to deter them from the homelands as long as possible while causing as much damage as we can along the way," Yuri said. He moved a white pawn which stood for a ZAFT unit to another point on the board and added, "Hopefully this will buy us just enough time."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, General," Patrick interrupted. "This entire scheme of yours is centered around our forces defending the PLANTs. If we are going to win we'll have to take to the offensive sometime."
"We will, Your Excellency," Gilbert said. "Just not at this point."
"How long do you believe your forces will be able to hold them off?" Ezalia asked.
Yuri paused. He shrugged his shoulders. "Against nuclear weapons...judging from the distance to the homelands...I'm guessing if they decide to use them right away...fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes!" Patrick exclaimed. "We'll all be dead by that time. We can't just play defense and hope they'll tire and go home. We have the technology needed to stop them. Why won't you use it?"
"We are planning to, Your Excellency, if you would allow us to finish," Gilbert said flatly. Patrick stared harshly at Jachin's commander and finally waved his hand in acknowledgment. Gilbert spread his hands along the edge of the display and took in his bearings. "At this moment we're going to have to fight a defensive battle against the Earth Forces. They have the edge now because they attacked us quicker than we expected yesterday. They will more than likely attack us again today, after a brief lull in order to restock their supplies, thereby giving us time to rethink a defense of our own after suffering a defeat like we did at Boaz yesterday. That sounds familiar doesn't it? It's the standard gameplay of chess, my friends. First you strategically position your pieces," he waved his hand across the board at the pieces strewn across it, "Then when the timing's right, you strike. That is what the Earth Forces did to us yesterday. That is what we will do to them later today. First, we have our pieces strategically positioned...the defensive line around the PLANTs that is designed to keep the Earth Forces in check until the right timing. Our main objective is to deter them from their primary target, more than likely the PLANTs. In order to do that we must spread them out and take them out little by little, as the board below you indicates. This will cause losses on our side...but that is how chess is played. You must use your smaller pieces strategically or else your larger ones cannot deliver the fatal strike. The smaller pieces in this case will be the defensive line. They will make the enemy think he's won and make him disregard all safety and warnings that he normally would." Gilbert took hold of the white king and held it between his middle and index fingers. "Then when he thinks he's won..." Gilbert abruptly smashed the king piece onto the board right in the middle of the black pieces, checking the opposing king with his own and winning the game. "Boom," Gilbert whispered.
Ezalia's eyes widened with surprise and then she smiled happily. "Ingenious..." she breathed.
"It's perfect," Tad added.
"Does that meet with your expectations, Your Excellency?" Gilbert asked Patrick.
Patrick looked down at the board below him and a devilish smile appeared on his face. "Check mate Naturals!" he hissed, fire burning in his eyes.
La Grange Point 5, 0915.
Supply ships had their holds plundered by the larger Earth Forces warships so that they would be able to go for the next operation that was scheduled to begin in a few hours. The 6th Orbital Fleet had met up with the remaining vessels of the 7th Orbital and now waited patiently for their turn to strike. McCarthy and Sutherland engaged in a congratulatory conversation on their respective bridges, each one never even bothering to speak of anything less than victory in the upcoming struggle. In his own quarters, Azrael lounged behind his small desk sipping a drink of some sort. "Have we finished with the resupplying yet?" he asked a soldier outside.
"A few more hours, Director Azrael," the soldier replied. Azrael sighed sadly as he went back inside his room and lay back on his bed. A few more hours space monsters, he thought happily to himself. A few more hours until you meet your deaths.
In the Dominion's observation room at the rear of the bridge tower, Hal stood with his back pressed against the window, his arms and legs crossed casually. Yeardley stood beside him, her eyes staring at the stars in the distance. It had been quite a day for the commanders of the ship. Even after their victory at Boaz it still felt as if they had been defeated. Perhaps it was because they had stooped to using nuclear weapons in order to achieve victory. Whatever it was, it didn't feel like they had won anything. "What are you thinking about, Captain?" Yeardley asked him quietly.
Hal turned his head slightly in her direction and then faced forward again. "Nothing really," he responded evenly. "Just trying to keep from going insane." He shut his eyes and rubbed his index finger along his nose and through his brown hair. "Dealing with Sutherland and Azrael, not to mention those three idiots who won't do anything I tell them...really taking out of me. Pray you don't end up with people like them when you command a ship, Lieutenant."
Yeardley smiled at her Captain's compliment. He looked so tired now, much older than he was. The war had taken it out of him really. Being thrust into a position such as this so abruptly. The door to the room opened behind them and they each saw a figure float in. "What's wrong?" Yeardley asked the girl as she came between the two of them. "Are you alright?"
Flay didn't make eye contact with either of them as she looked out of the window at the dark space beyond. Hal looked the young girl over and saw that she looked terrible. "What I don't understand is why you didn't stay behind at the Lunar Base," he told her. "Why'd you even remain aboard?"
Flay shook her head. "I...I have to talk to someone..." she said uneasily. "That boy...the one who pilots that mobile suit on the Archangel. Kira..." Small droplets of tears filled the corners of her eyes as she spoke. "Kira...he's alive. So...I really have to see him...talk to him...properly this time. And the others too..."
"Come on, don't cry," Yeardley soothed the young girl. Hal turned his head slowly away from her. He felt her pain. Felt her sorrow and sadness. "It's likely...but there's no guarantee that we'll encounter the Archangel," Yeardley added softly. "You look scared."
Flay nodded her head several times as more tears came to her eyes. "I'm terrified..." she cried. "I didn't understand...what was happening. I didn't know...everyone else did...they knew...I didn't. That's why...I have to talk to Kira and the others. I was...so blinded...I didn't know what was happening..."
Yeardley reached into the pocket of her uniform and offered the girl a handkerchief. Flay wouldn't accept it. "That man..." she said weakly as she cried. "That man...with the mask...he said...he said the war was going to end..."
Beside them, Hal chuckled a little. Yeardley looked to him with a harsh gaze and he quickly stopped. "Sorry." He shrugged his shoulders and added, "The guy was right though. This was is only going to get worse. A lot worse than what we've just seen." Flay stopped crying suddenly, but then she cried harder. Tears of sadness and frustration. Yeardley laid a caring hand on the girl's back as she heard Hal finish talking. She knew it was true. The PLANTs would be next. It was inevitable with the people running the show as they were. "This war is going to come to an end...once all the enemies are destroyed. Only then...will it end..." Hal stopped talking as Flay cried more tears of anguish beside him. Outside the room, his hand trembling slightly against the bulkhead, Rutherford heard the words Hal spoke. He too knew it was true. The war would come to an end...once every last Coordinator was dead and gone. It stung him to even think about it...but there was no stopping it now. The PLANTs would burn...and so would the Coordinators...
Kusanagi, L5, 1000.
Just at the edge of the 5th La Grange Point, the vessels of the Orb Fleet moved silently through the black space and into the gravitic stability point. On the large Izumo-class vessel leading the formation, the officers of the warships met to discuss the situation. They gathered in the bridge, scattered about the facility's insides. They watched the map display above them show them lines and arrows that spread across the map. "Last night the 6th Orbital entered the La Grange Point and rendezvoused with the remaining forces from the 7th," Cantarii told the gathering. "Judged by the images that gives them a total of about forty-five warships combined. Not to mention that the 5th Orbital is still out there waiting." He shook his head and sighed. "One of the largest sortie's the Earth Forces have ever made."
"What's worse is that just two days ago the Carpentaria base was severely damaged by an air assault," Josef added from the front of the bridge next to his wife's helm console. "The mass driver track was completely burned through by the incendiaries they dropped on Carpentaria and the reports indicate that casualties were rather high. The same goes for the European Front just north of Gibraltar. They're moving swiftly on all fronts. It's breathtaking when you think about it."
"And with the Earth Forces using nuclear weapons against Boaz, the war's going to take a drastic turn for the worst, I'm afraid," Cantarii put in sternly. "If the Earth Forces somehow managed to obtain the data on an N-Jammer Canceller, that means they'd be more than willing to use them against the PLANTs. Not to mention the fact that the PLANTs already have the N-Jammer Canceller technology. I shudder to think what they've done with it in the past months."
"I still can't believe it," Murrue said. "That the Earth Forces would actually use nuclear weapons again."
"It's not surprising when you think about it," Mwu responded dryly. Murrue looked at him standing next to her and he added, "Not after what they did at JOSH-A and Cuba. It makes perfect sense for them to do it."
At the rear of the bridge, Stevy asked quietly, "Director Crue, you said the track on the mass driver was completely burned through?" Josef nodded his head. Stevy shook his head from side to side. "56. It's the only compound that can do it. So they have figured out how it works." He looked at everyone and added, "It's also likely that the person who leaked the schematics on 56 is the one who gave them the data on the N-Jammer Cancellers. Am I wrong?"
"Not you're logic is sound," Cantarii answered darkly. "It makes perfect sense."
"Who do you think it could be, Admiral?" Stevy asked. "The leak that is?"
"le Creuset," Mwu answered. All eyes turned in surprise to him. "Remember that escape pod he dumped in the debris belt when we were there? I'm guessing that's how he got it to them. It makes sense."
"Admiral, sir," Natarle said. "What do you plan to do now?"
"What we've got to do, Lieutenant," Cantarii answered, standing up from his chair and walking to the front of the bridge. He turned around to face the group and said, "We swore that we wouldn't let either side destroy the other. That's been our goal from the beginning, when we all first met at Gyndana. It hasn't changed since then, has it?" Everyone shook their head. "The Eternal is still back at Boaz looking for survivors, but it's unlikely that they'll find any. I've already spoken to Miss Lacus and General Waltfeld. They agreed that we must press into L5 without them. They'll rendezvous with us as soon as their work is finished. Director Crue? When did the radio intercepts indicate that the second operation is supposed to begin?"
"1300, sir," Josef answered.
"Three hours. I then suggest you people get back to your ships and get ready. We'll be launching for the PLANTs immediately."
"The PLANTs!" several officers gasped at once.
"It shouldn't be surprising," Cantarii said to each of them. "With people like Azrael and Sutherland running things...they won't pass up the chance to take out the PLANTs. That's the second operation's target. Get back to your ships and get them ready for combat. This is going to be a fight today people. Good luck."
"Yes, sir!"
La Grange Point 5, 1300.
The final missiles were loaded into the starboard hatch of the Regress and the giant Agamemnon-class warship closed its hatches and dislodged itself from the yellow supply ship. "Admiral McCarthy, sir! All preparations are complete."
In his chair on the bridge, McCarthy ordered with a calm demeanor, "Attention all vessels of the 6th Orbital Fleet! Move out!" The blue, dagger shaped warship's engines gave off a majestic roar as they ignited and propelled the warship forward towards the PLANTs in the distance. The remaining vessels of the 6th Fleet, which included two other Agamemnon's besides the Regress, formed up in a group of one huge sphere, the Regress at the center. Behind and to their starboard, the remaining vessels of the 7th Orbital Fleet, the one that had devastated Boaz the day before, followed in a similar formation, the Dominion and the four Agamemnon's clustered between the smaller ships. The strategy would be the same as the previous day's operation. Sutherland's forces would work with McCarthy's in order to distract the main forces surrounding the PLANTs. Then while the Coordinators were busy, the Dominion and her escorts would sneak in undetected and launch the Peacemakers and Justifications. Which would mean one thing. Goodbye PLANTs.
The Dominion's bridge was silent as the ship picked up speed and sped towards the targets. Hal sat uneasily in his chair, trying to not look so pale and exhausted as he actually was. His face was clearly whiter than usual however and his hands were visibly trembling as they clutched the arm rests of his chair. Flay sat behind him once again at her console, listening to the radio chatter between the ships. Sutherland sat upright to their right in his command chair, his hands folded tightly in his lap, a grin spread across his jagged jaw. Azrael sat with his head propped up on his left fist and he was humming a small tune to himself as the PLANTs became more and more visible in front of them. Rutherford sat beside his master, running the data being forwarded to him into the console in front of him. No one spoke anything as the ship plunged forward. The hangar was just as quiet, even though it was usually a bustle of activity. Inside their mobile suits, Orga, Clotho, and Shani sat quietly, waiting patiently for their time to sortie and kill again. It filled them with adrenaline every time they went out and they were excited to go out again today.
Something scrolled across Rutherford's console screen and he typed in several commands. "Admiral, sir," he reported quickly. Sutherland looked impatiently in his direction and Rutherford added, "The 5th Fleet is moving sir."
"Where?" Sutherland asked.
"They're only about an hour behind us, sir," Rutherford said. "I assumed there were no orders given, so..."
"Crewman Allster, can you get a signal from the Valiant?" Hal asked.
"Nothing, Captain," Flay reported quietly. "The frequency's not working."
"No matter," Sutherland said, brushing it off. "Bradford won't do anything stupid. We're fine. Proceed with the operation as planned."
"Yes, sir," Rutherford said quietly, turning back to his console, an unnerving sensation brewing inside of him.
Ahead of the fleet, the ZAFT defensive lines were mobilizing to meet the approaching threat. Nazca and Laurasia-class ships launched their mobile suits into space, their weapons powering up as they did so. The pilots were set inside the cockpits, eager to seek revenge against the Naturals for Boaz. On the Vesalius, situated in the left most cluster of ships, Ades sat on the bridge, giving commands to his crew. Rau lounged peacefully in his office, listening to the reports coming in from the lines. Yzak sat restlessly inside the Duel's cockpit, his helmet placed firmly over his head. He listened to the words that were coming through the radio and into his cockpit. "We shall never let the barbaric Naturals use nuclear weapons against us again!" his mother Ezalia's voice boomed across the entire complex of PLANTs. "After Bloody Valentine we refrained from striking back against the Naturals with nuclear weapons ourselves. But they once again betrayed out peaceful ideals! We can never forgive them once again!"
Mother...Yzak thought to himself, hearing her voice call out to him through space. "All wings ready?" he asked his GuAIZ squadron behind him.
"All set, Commander!" came the response.
"Joule Team, launching!" Yzak called out, the catapult sending the Duel flying down the catapult and out of the Nazca's hatch. His six GuAIZ mobile suits followed in his wake.
"All vessels in the sixth defensive quadrant," Rau said via the radio in his room, "launch now!" The columns of warships set out, racing to meet the approaching enemies.
The two sides now could see each other plainly as they sought out one another in order to destroy them. Strike Daggers, mobile armors, and K-bombers sped out to engage GINNs, CGUEs, and GuAIZs. Earth Forces warships versus ZAFT warships. The battle was coming to the PLANTs. "Enemy's main fleet almost in range of main cannons, Admiral," the Captain of the Regress told McCarthy.
"Order our mobile units to begin engagement. Operation is a go!"
Regress fired its powerful main cannons, green laces of energy streaking into the darkness beyond. That was joined by fire from every other Earth Forces warship, which was met in turn by fire from the ZAFT ships. Mobile suits from either side raced into combat against one another, their weapons blazing through space. A Strike Dagger sliced into the cockpit of a GINN, cutting it in half and destroying it. A GuAIZ used both of its fire claws to blow apart two separate Daggers at the same time. Mobile suits and mobile armors exploded like fireworks in space, causing the scene to almost look pretty from afar. A squadron of GINNs overwhelmed the hull of a 130-class and it exploded in a rapidly expanding ball of flame. The Regress and its fellow Agamemnon's concentrated their fire on a Nazca, two shots ripping massive holes in the claws of the blue warship, the third blowing apart the bridge.
Sutherland watched with growing anticipation as the battle inched further and further towards the PLANTs. It was as he predicted. The Coordinators were putting up fierce resistance, but time would soon take its toll. "Message the others," he ordered. "We're splitting off. Captain Omanney deploy the mobile suits."
"Have the Peacemakers and the Justifications prepare for launch as well," Azrael added. "How far are we from the PLANTs?"
"25000, sir," came the reply.
"Almost there," Azrael whispered slyly.
Through the open hatches of the Dominion came the Calamity, the Forbidden, and the Raider, their weapons primed and ready to go, their pilots eager to destroy something. The Dominion, the Doolittle, the Washington, and the two others turned away from the main force and headed towards the left flank, the direction that led straight to the PLANTs.
Yzak fired the cannon on the Duel's shoulder and took out two mobile armors. His diagnostic board chimed and he turned his head to see the ships turning towards the PLANTs. "They're turning at the PLANTs!" he shouted into the radio. "Let's go!" He pushed his thrusters to maximum and soared at the enemies.
"Fire!" Ades commanded his crew. The Vesalius' main cannons blazed streaks of green light at the enemy, blowing two Strike Daggers apart before tearing into the side of a 250-class, which exploded just a few seconds later. Rau felt the ship shake from the confines of his office. He folded his hands in his lap and watched the console screen on his desk. Almost time...he thought patiently to himself.
Out of the hatches of the four Agamemnon-class warships behind the Dominion came the Peacemaker Force of mobile armors and the Justification Force of K-bombers, nuclear missiles strapped to their undersides. "Same plan as yesterday, people!" one of the squad commanders told his pilots. "Stay sharp and make sure you've got your targets set!"
"Say your prayers, space monsters," a mobile armor pilot said to no one in particular.
Shani sliced sideways with his scythe, cutting a GINN in half. "Here they come," he told his wingmates, seeing the approaching forces behind them.
"Thanks Captain Obvious," Clotho answered as he released his hammer from its socket and blew apart a CGUE.
"There's even more of them than yesterday, guys!" Orga shouted. He fired his Schlag cannons and destroyed two GINNs before blasting away a GuAIZ with his chest cannon.
Yzak soared through the rising level of shots ringing out all around him and stopped amidst them. "Damn," he swore to himself. It was those three mobile suits that he'd fought in the debris belt at the beginning of the month. And behind them were... "All units in the sixth quadrant, concentrate your fire on those mobile armors! They're carrying the nukes!"
The mobile suits in that area quickly turned towards the incoming enemies, but Shani and Orga stood in their way. "Not a chance, bitches," Shani berated, destroying three GINNs with his plasma cannon. Orga fired his bazooka at a CGUE and blew it apart. "I want to see some more fireworks," Shani added.
Yzak cut through two Strike Daggers with his beam saber, but had to jump up suddenly in order to dodge the Raider's hammer. Clotho charged at the Duel, his Zorn cannon lighting up the dark space. Yzak maneuvered around the shots and fired back with his own rifle. As he tried to get a clear shot at the Raider, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the first wave of mobile armors release their nuclear missiles directly at the PLANTs. Yzak's eyes widened and his mouth went aghast. It was then that Clotho's hammer slammed into him, shaking the cockpit severely and knocking Yzak around in the cockpit. "Take those missiles out! Don't let 'em hit the PLANTs!" he shouted as he leveled off and tried to fight back.
Orga and Shani destroyed more ZAFT mobile suits with their weapons as the missiles moved ever closer to the PLANTs. The end of the war was coming ever closer as well. Azrael smiled and hummed in excitement as he saw the missiles streak towards their targets, officially eliminating the threat to humanity. Sutherland smiled as well, thinking of what they would do for a celebration once they returned home. Hal shut his eyes and avoided watching the approaching catastrophe. Flay tried to look away, but for some reason she couldn't take her eyes off the approaching doom. McCarthy sat back in his chair on the Regress and said, "That's game, set, and match, Coordinators."
The Duel flipped on its side and fired its cannon at the Raider, which dodged the shots. Yzak's eyes widened and his fear mounted as he saw the missiles come within striking distance of the PLANTs. It was over. He'd failed. "No..." he said weakly, shutting his eyes so he wouldn't see it coming.
"Yzak!" Suddenly, two streaks of yellow and red light appeared out of nowhere, aimed directly at the missiles that were just seconds away from the PLANTs. In a flash of light, the first section of missiles were struck by the shots and evaporated in white light. Clotho hesitated just for a split second as he wondered what in the hell had just happened. Yzak saw his chance and he snarled as he chopped with his beam saber, slicing off the Raider's right leg and managing to get past the black mobile suit. Yzak shouted angrily as he aimed all of his weapons at the remaining missiles and destroyed them in a great flash of light. The lights expanded all around the PLANTs, illuminating the hour-glass shaped structures in dark blue against the white background. Yzak looked to where the sound had come from and was shocked by what he saw. Sitting in the small cluster of asteroids just beyond the PLANTs, their cannons pointed directly at the spot where the white light was now disintegrating, were the Buster and the Strike. Behind them, the legged ship and the Orb Forces. Dearka...! Yzak rejoiced in his mind. It was him! He couldn't believe it, but Orb had just saved the PLANTs.
Azrael's eyes widened and his mouth dropped as the missiles exploded prematurely. Sutherland's teeth ground together in a snarl as he watched the scenario unfold. Hal, Yeardley, Rutherford, and Flay all watched fascinated as the light dyed out revealing the PLANTs to be untouched. "Where'd that shot come from!" Sutherland demanded.
"X-105 Strike and X-103 Buster!" came the reply. "The Orb Forces are sitting in the asteroids, Admiral!"
Over the radio, Yzak heard one of the ships call out, "Second wave of enemy craft inbound!" He turned his head and saw the approaching force of mobile armors, nuclear missile strapped to their undersides. Damn, Yzak swore. Would they be able to stop these?
"Hurry and get these missiles launched!" the lead mobile armor pilot shouted to his mates. "We've got to destroy those Coordinators-!" His call was cut off abruptly as his mobile armor exploded in a ball of flame, the nuclear missiles detonating beneath it. Several other mobile armors were vaporized by shots from above. Frank held tight to the Zero's controls as he fired his barrels at the mobile armors, Kisaka beside him in the Skygrasper lighting it up with the Aile Pack's rifle. The trio of K-bombers brought up the rear of the attack force, all of their guns firing madly at the mobile armors. Before it was over, every single mobile armor and its nuclear missile had been obliterated.
The final wave of K-bombers were able to absorb most of the shots coming at them thanks to the planes' powerful armor and managed to successfully launch their missiles at the PLANTs. Yzak started to race towards them, but just then two flashes of white streaked past his cockpit. Red squares surrounded the missiles on the targeting computers of the Freedom and the Justice. Kira and Athrun each knew they needed all the firepower they had at their disposal and they opened up all the canisters and weapons emplacements on their METEOR units. After securing a target lock on each of the missiles, they both fired all of the METEORs' weapons and destroyed the remaining missiles before they could strike the PLANTs. The nuclear attack had been completely halted.
"Bastards!" Orga shouted at the Freedom and Justice. He fired his Schlag cannons at them, but they were able to dodge. Orga too had to turn and evade the shots as the Mwu charged at him in the Strike, the green Agni cannon blazing red streaks of energy at the blue mobile suit.
White flames of energy cascaded from the Eternal's engines as the pink warship formed up with the Archangel, Kusanagi, and the other Orb vessels as they departed the asteroids. "Soldiers of the Earth Forces please cease your attacks at once!" Lacus' voice pleaded over the open channel which was linked to all ships in the area.
"Miss Lacus?" Yzak gasped inside the Duel's cockpit, shocked to hear the singer's voice.
"Are you truly aware of the consequences of what you are about to do?" Lacus asked everyone.
At one of the nearby armory's Ezalia and Tad watched with keen interest as the third formation of ships made its way into battle. "What in the world is she trying to pull now?" Tad asked.
The Dominion and most of the Earth Forces' attack strength had stopped as soon as the nuclear attack failed. "Who is that?" Azrael asked, referring to the girl's voice that had just been heard over the open channel. "And why isn't anyone fighting anymore?"
"Get the ship moving, Captain Omanney!" Sutherland ordered harshly. "We're not done yet. Ready the second nuclear attack force! We'll destroy the PLANTs and get this war over with!"
"It won't be that easy, Admiral Sutherland," came a thick accented voice over the open channel. Sutherland recognized that voice and he scowled as the image of the man who had spoken it came onto the Dominion's front view screen. Cantarii smiled slightly as he saw Sutherland's image reflected back at him. "You have to get through me first."
"Cantarii," Sutherland hissed. "I always knew you were a traitor."
"I'm the traitor?" Cantarii asked, looking somewhat hurt. "I'm not the one who's trying to commit genocide here, Admiral. I'm afraid I cannot allow you destroy the PLANTs. If you really want all the Coordinators eliminated, you'll have to defeat me. Of course...you've always said you were a better commander than I was. Why don't we find out?"
"My pleasure," Sutherland answered harshly. "All units in the 7th Orbital Fleet, turn and engage the Orb Forces! I want those ships of traitors destroyed once and for all!"
"But the ZAFT Forces, sir," Hal reminded him.
"We'll deal with them at the same time, Captain," Azrael interrupted. "It's perfect. We'll get rid of them at the same time as the PLANTs. Total victory will finally be ours."
A short distance away, Patrick sat down in a chair inside Jachin Due's command center. A soldier was speaking into his ear. "Lacus Clyne and those others are where?"
"Just in front of the asteroids, sir," the soldier replied.
Patrick chuckled. "No matter. Leave them alone. We're almost ready here." Gilbert and Yuri stood on either side of Patrick, their arms folded behind their backs as they waited for it to happen. Patrick keyed the radio switch on the console in front of him and said, "Ezalia, get our forces out of the way! It's time we revealed our true strength!" he added quietly.
Yzak fired at a Strike Dagger and blew one of its arms off. As the mobile suit retreated, Yzak saw something green approaching him. He recognized it. "Yzak!" Dearka's voice called out to him through the radio as the Buster approached the Duel.
"Dearka..." Yzak started, but he stopped when a message was placed on his diagnostic board. It read: All forces in defensive lines, withdraw to behind line of fire. GENESIS activated. Yzak was shocked. He knew what that meant. But...why now? "We're to fall back from the line of fire? GENESIS...?"
Frank retracted his gun barrels back onto the Zero's frame and coupled them together. He then looked around him and saw a strange sight. The ZAFT forces seemed to be falling back. This was shocking to Frank. Why would they be falling back? He keyed the radio. "Hey guys! The ZAFT forces are falling back!"
"Falling back?" Mwu gasped. "What the hell's going on?"
The soldiers inside Jachin's command center rushed about their stations, relaying messages and inputting commands. A soldier beside Patrick fed him the information. "Power source is adequate, all systems are operational. Activation voltage, deactivate Mirage Colloid."
Just then behind Jachin Due, the seemingly empty area of space was suddenly filled by a large object. It was in the shape of a fat cone with its rear a sharp point. Its front was circular, looking almost like a giant eyeball. In front of the eyeball was what appeared to look like the back portion of a badminton birdie, with square holes cut into the metal structure every few meters or so. In reality the front object was an alignment mirror. The eyeball a larger mirror. The object itself...was GENESIS.
"The ZAFT forces are retreating, Admiral," a crewman on the Regress told McCarthy.
"Detecting a large object behind Jachin Due," another reported.
McCarthy looked out towards Jachin and saw the eyeball staring back at him. "Object...?" he breathed quietly.
"Activating Phase Shift!" The gray eyeball gradually changed into bright blue as the powerful phase shift armor that covered it activated. The mirror in front of it also changed colors from gray to blue.
"What?" Murrue gasped on the Archangel's bridge. "What's that?" Lacus sighed gasped uneasily on the Eternal's bridge as she saw it. Cantarii literally dropped the phone he held to his ear out of his hand and it clanged to the deck.
"Get out!" Yzak shouted to the Buster, Freedom, Justice, and the rest of the Orb mobile suits. They had just saved the PLANTs. He didn't want them to die! "Freedom, Justice, Buster! They're gonna fire GENESIS!"
"What!" Athrun gasped.
"Athrun, move!" Kira shouted to his friend. Athrun pulled hard on the Justice's controls and soared higher up into space away from the Earth Forces ships. Dearka did the same as he followed Athrun above. Yzak jumped above as well, along with the remaining units of his GuAIZ squadron.
Mwu stared dumbfounded at the object just next to Jachin Due. "Mwu if you don't wanna get fried, move it!" Frank shouted at him. Mwu pulled on the controls as pushed the Strike higher, the Zero, the Skygrasper, and the three K-bombers following him.
"Activating N-Jammer Canceller. Set nuclear cartridge to detonation position!" Inside the cone shaped rear portion of GENESIS, a massive turbine inside of it began to turn, picking up speed with each revolution. "System connections all green!" The turbine spun faster and faster, the inside of GENESIS beginning to glow bright red as the nuclear power surged through it. It began to vibrate as the power churned through the object.
"All you Naturals mark this moment well!" Patrick told the Naturals. "Now it's over. Let this light usher in the creation of the Coordinator's world!" GENESIS began to glow white as the energy reached its peak. "Now, fire!" Patrick shouted.
Suddenly, a thin line of white erupted from the eyeball, streaking towards the mirror in front of it. The alignment mirror reflected the light in a larger portion back at the eye, which turned the energy bright red and multiplied it by a million times. With a great roar, the energy was sent soaring through space by the eye, the force of a nuclear bomb expanding out towards space.
"Large energy source heading straight for us, Admiral!" one of McCarthy's men shouted as the red light approached the Regress and the ships surrounding it. McCarthy brought his arm up in front of his face to shield himself from the oncoming light, but the light enveloped the Agamemnon-class ship and all of its counterparts, sending nuclear energy coursing through their systems. In great flashes, one by one, the ships exploded in balls of flame. One by one, Strike Daggers, mobile armors, and K-bombers were annihilated by the light as it streaked across the lines of Earth Forces ships. No one was able to escape as the light destroyed everything in its path, pilots' bodies swelling and exploding from the nuclear energy that hit them inside their cockpits. Ships exploded like fireworks on a fourth of July evening, illuminating space in bright lights.
Sutherland threw himself back in his chair as the Dominion began shaking from the light that was getting dangerously close. "Hard to port!" Hal shouted at the top of his lungs. "Get us out of here!" Azrael's eyes widened and his teeth ground together angrily as he held tight to his chair as the ship began to move. The Dominion turned hard to the left and banked on its leg, managing somehow to avoid being struck by the light. The Doolittle and another Agamemnon ship did the same, but the light obliterated the Washington and the final Agamemnon before they could escape.
Shani, Clotho, and Orga all managed to soar above the light and looked on in horror at the destruction below them. "Oh, man..." Clotho gasped as he watched the fireworks below him. Shani and Orga both hissed angrily at the sight.
Murrue's eyes widened and she stood up from her chair as she watched the catastrophe unfold. Natarle did the same in the CIC, her hat flying off of her head as she did so. Neumann and Josef both pulled hard on their helms as they tried to keep the Archangel out of danger. Cantarii watched it unfold, knowing full well that this meant the war really had turned for the worst. Cagalli's lip trembled as she watched all those people die. Lacus couldn't turn her eyes away from the sight even though she was horrified beyond belief. How could humans actually do something like this? Andy lowered his head in disgust and he shook it.
Inside their cockpits, Kira and Athrun's bodies shook with fear as they watched the light begin to die out. "How could...?" Kira breathed.
"No, father..." Athrun told himself, his voice shaking.
Dearka, Mwu, and Frank each watched from above as the light died out, revealing the charred remains of what had once been the Earth Forces fleet. Hulks of destroyed mobile suits and warships were everywhere, turning space into a makeshift debris field. Nothing was moving down there. It was as if the space itself was dead.
GENESIS ceased its vibrating and was quiet all of a sudden. The mirror block in front of it was heavily damaged by the force of the explosion and it was in much the same shape as was the Earth Forces fleet. ZAFT soldiers watched in fascination as they realized what had just happened. The Earth Forces attack strength had been wiped out. Patrick smiled inside Jachin at the result. Yuri and Gilbert each looked at each other with uncertain glances.
"All remaining forces," Sutherland ordered. "Begin withdrawal!" Signal flares lit up the black space as the remaining Earth Forces vessels began to make their way out of the battlefield.
"Forces, begin your assault!" a ZAFT commander told his units. "Teach those Naturals a lesson about what happens when you trifle with us!" GINNs and GuAIZ's attacked the retreating forces like rabid dogs, destroying helpless units who couldn't fight back. A retreating Strike Dagger was cut in half by a CGUE, its pilot laughing insanely as he did so.
"Damn!" Clotho swore, firing his hammer at an incoming GINN, destroying it. "We gotta get out of here!" Orga and Shani formed up with him as they destroyed the attacking forces. They then quickly turned and headed back towards the remnants of the fleet.
Despite the withdrawal, the ZAFT forces kept on coming, the soldiers showing no remorse in what they were doing. From above them, Kira charged down towards the lines. "Stop it!" he shouted. "Don't attack those who aren't fighting back!" The ZAFT forces didn't listen so Kira was forced to take matters into his own hands, no matter how much he didn't want to. He separated himself from the METEOR and readied all of his guns. He lined his targeting computer up and fired at the ZAFT machines, decapitating some and blowing off the arms and legs of others, effectively disabling them. He then chopped at others with his beam sabers, disabling them as well.
On the Archangel, Murrue watched the Earth Forces retreat with a heavy heart. This wasn't a war anymore. This was a bloodbath. "Captain Ramius!" Cantarii's voice rang over the radio. Murrue looked up at his and Andy's images and Cantarii said, "We'll have to withdraw as well. All vessels are to recover your mobile units and return to vector three-two-six."
The larger warships turned around one hundred and eighty degrees and began to withdraw from the battlefield. Kira and Athrun met and started to head back towards the Eternal, the ravaged Earth Forces fleet in their wake.
Yzak brought the Duel to directly face the Buster as they flew above the remains of the Earth Forces fleet. Neither of them spoke. What would they say? Just then, the withdrawal orders scrolled across Dearka's diagnostic board. He turned the Buster around and started to head off, but Yzak called his name out. Dearka stopped then and sighed heavily inside the cockpit. "I'd much rather not fight you if it can be helped, Yzak," he told his friend. "I hope you feel the same." Yzak sighed uneasily as he watched the Buster fly out of sight.
As he headed back towards the Archangel, Mwu sensed something. Or rather, someone. He scowled. le Creuset! This is all your fault you bastard! You and your twisted logic! I'll get you for this, for sure. He brought the Strike back to the Archangel.
Meanwhile, inside his office on the Vesalius, Rau looked at the devastation just beyond him with excitement. It had begun. The end of humanity's insatiable desires had finally arrived! Rau began laughing insanely. His mission had come true. Humanity would burn for their crimes in the past! Nothing could stop it now!