Gundam Seed: A New Path

by readerofgoodfanfiction

The Second Bloody Valentine's War has ended. In the midst of it all, the Atlantic Federation forms a top secret military division called Stargate Command located deep within the heart of Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. The discovered Ancient relic, the Stargate, help raise back a nation from the ashes of its defeat like a phoenix and shows the galaxy what it truly means to be Tau'ri.

6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate or Gundam SEED Destiny
PS. As always this is unbeta, looking for Beta Readers but no takers. I even ask a few authors for help and they decline while others, no replies.

Sorry to disappoint the Grammar Purists

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Chapter 5
The Calm Surrounded by Storms

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Artemis Base
the Archangel
Ambassador Ezalia Joule quarters

After the meeting with the President and members of the AF group, Ezalia went straight back to her assigned quarters onboard the Archangel, though they were given private quarters on the station, she figures that her room is not exactly private despite having it swept clean for surveillance devices.

She enters her quarters and went straight to her private bathroom to throw up, as she has never felt so sick and twisted inside of her in her entire life, cursing that snakehead Adon,the slang word describing the Goa'uld parasite inside your head.

It took a while for her stomach to calm down, took a shower, and then wears some clean clothes she brought with her and then went on to review the classified documents from President Hayes shared. The classified files give a glimpse of the life in Stargate Command, of aliens of worlds beyond the solar system. Most of all, it's about the flagship team SG-1 and reason why she was given most of SG-1 mission files is not because of their success or failures in the field but because it shows the kind of universe they live in.

The files on hand tell about four people of an exploration team where the first name is all too familiar.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, probably the greatest bane in Zaft neck since the first war all the way to the recent event that put the AF back to a superpower. Nickname 'the Zaku Hunter' by Zaft during the second war because he destroyed numerous mobile with his Special Forces unit. Col. O'Neill Special Forces units have the most number of MS kills mostly without using mobile suits and his combat tactics are required reading in the academy because it teaches how to deal with mobile suits.

Throughout the second war, O'Neill uses classic hit and run guerilla tactics, with anti-mobile suits rocket launchers, equip with modified High Explosive Anti-Tanks munitions for Anti-MS Operations, portable beam weapons made to be used by ground forces, squash-type anti-mobile suit land mines and other weapons.

There are also unofficial reports of his unit raiding Zaft bases, primarily targeting mobile suits, weapons, fuel, munitions stores and food, destroying them and at times stealing from Zaft especially mobile suits, for many of his soldiers are well trained to operate them without changing the OS.

In the Post War, O'Neill whereabouts became unknown until that day when he brought out the three new warships to defend Artemis.

He is also the one, who first step thru the Stargate and led the way for the Atlantic Federation rising up from the ashes. He led the first expedition to the planet Abydos and one of the founders of Stargate Command and currently the leader of flagship team, SG-1.

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, the AF scientific genius, well known and respected in the scientific community for doing a number of first in scientific breakthrough in research and studies in astrophysics. She is also credited for the reverse engineering of the Orbanian's Naquadah Reactor that they have acquired thru trade where SGC created their analog version of a Naquadah Reactor which is a type of fission based reaction system, producing more energy than the current fusion reactors. Then later on, with a joint cooperation with the Orbanians, they built their first Naquadah Fusion Reactor, a major achievement and one of many written on her resume, along with…blowing up a star.

PhD Dr. Daniel Jackson, an archeologist ridiculed by his peers of his theory that the Pyramids of Giza are much older than they are thought to be. His colleagues did not take him seriously and one of them joke that Men from Atlantis or Martians are maybe the ones built the Great Pyramids.

The man wasn't that far off the mark as Dr. Daniel Jackson was able to decipher the code to activate the Stargate and open the doorway to the universe.

Then there is the Jaffa named Teal'c, the First Prime of Apophis who rebelled and joined SG-1 to fight the Goa'uld in order to free his people from the false gods called the Goa'uld.

A Jaffa is modified human, genetically engineered by the Goa'uld in ancient antiquity, made to serve as soldiers and as incubators for their young by using a pouch located on their abdomen. Jaffa possesses great strength, perfect health & long life—so long as their Goa'uld larva is intact or not removed from the pouch or the host dies along with the larva.

An interesting reading about another race of genetically engineered humans the Jaffa compared to Coordinators they are very different for the Jaffa are created for the purpose of serving the Goa'uld, indoctrinated to see them as Gods. They act as soldiers for the Goa'uld, using them to rule, dominate and enslave, oppressing the hundreds maybe thousands of worlds filled with enslaved human who are no different than the Naturals on Earth and they have been doing this for ten thousand years and many of those oppressed worlds fight back and at times, wins their freedom but most of the time, they are annihilated for disobeying their gods.

Teal'c and other Jaffa are trying to change all that, they know that they are false gods which is why he joined SGC to help free his people. The record shows that he's quite respected in the SGC, being seeing as a comrade in arms as he proved himself time and time again as someone who is an ally to be trusted.

For the past 10 years, the secret AF Military program, Stargate Command aka SGC has been working hard to establish itself as a force of change, making alliances , trade partners, locating resource worlds, technology and making friends across the galaxy.

The AF continues to benefit as SGC kept sending their best and brightest to learn and uses what they learn when they return to Earth, which is probably why the AF is prospering.

During the ten years, the SGC have accumulated libraries of knowledge from dozens of worlds of both living and dead. Ancient knowledge from civilizations older than man have been recovered from distant planets and is being studied and learned and what they learn has expanded their view of the galaxy and the universe.

But from the benefit came with risks and it seems that SGC has their fair share of problems and numerous incidence regarding other human cultures and aliens species especially the Goa'uld who are the primary threat to Earth.

For now the Earth is safe so long as the Protected Planets Treaty is in place thanks to SGC allies the Asgard. However, with Anubis waging war against the system lords; it was only a matter of time until he sets his sights on Earth, disregarding the treaty because his power now rivals the Asgard.

This is the reason why the AF are initiating disclosure because the Goa'uld named Anubis is a great threat that they can't stand up against, and despite the SGC technological advances, they are not a match against a system lords with far superior technology and overwhelming numbers.

If this information is disclosed to the other governments, she has no doubt that they will either be lining up to get a piece of the action or would try something like demanding the AF to hand over the Stargate to an international body to oversee its use for the benefit of the whole world. They will most likely use this Goa'uld as proof of the AF inability to handle the great responsibility of the Stargate.

A dangerous excuse for them to try in gaining control of the Stargate from the Atlantic Federation and no doubt the AF will not hand over the Stargate to anyone. Ezalia can see only one option open for them and that's cooperation. However, not everyone will like the idea of playing second fiddle in an orchestra led by the AF…not that they will have a choice in the matter, and should the other governments thought of disclosing this information to the public…well it can do more harm than good to them even if they present it to the public in a bad light.

The AF position in the world stage is strong so if the other governments did disclose it, the AF government is not in danger of being overthrown due to fact that they have an enormous public support that they have earned, not to mention, a sense o pride of knowing that they have the means to go beyond the boundaries of the solar system and no one else possess.

Furthermore, if the AF feels threatened then their first reactions will more than likely start closing their borders and stop all means trade, commerce and transportation across the Sol System and that could damage the world economy because more than half of the resources, transports, trade and commerce comes from the Atlantic Federation.

Military action is definitely out of the question, and from what she has seen so far, the AF military power especially the Star Forces space power is in a whole new level than that of the Zaft or Orb, far more than what they believe.

'The other military are already on edge on the differences of their power, this will push them over the edge' Ezalia groaning at the thought of Zaft asking for more funding in an already overinflated military budget

'The moment Zaft read this report, they'll be asking for more' she thought

'The Star Forces have been holding back their true strength, but it's not for the benefit of the Earth Sphere, but because their primary focuses right now is to fight the Goa'uld should they come to Earth in force.' Ezalia will have to recommend cooperation, let the AF keep the Stargate, keep it a secret for the time being and figure of a way for everyone to benefit in its use without resorting to violence.

She started writing down ideas and recommending it to the Plants Supreme Council, also to tell Zaft that the Star Forces are well aware of their long range weapon system project they are secretly been building.

Ezalia was to tell Zaft…to finish working on so that it will be added to Earth defense…

A weapon system whose name was to describe the beginning as written in the Bible, now it's an acronym of a weapon of mass destruction, known asGamma Emission by Nuclear Explosion Stimulate Inducing System or G.E.N.E.S.I.S.

The new incarnation of the Genesis weapon is not the typical parabolic type but a cylindrical type the Star Forces calls it a Genesis Cannon which Zaft camouflage it as an O'Neill class space colony.

The Cannon where once it's fired, it emits a highly super condense tight beam gamma ray laser with a low energy dissipation, where in theory, capable of destroying any target in the solar system.

It was outrageous of hearing that another Genesis weapon has been built, and Ezalia can guess that the over inflated military budget that the Plants Supreme Council kept approving year after year, is partly responsible for another WMD being built.

Zaft violated the treaty of banning WMD within the Earth Sphere a clear disregard of the Amended Treaty of Aprillius which includes not allowing SF ships carrying super nukes to enter the Earth Sphere, that no weapons like that will be built, used or be present in the Earth Sphere.

The Space Forces knew that Zaft is secretly constructing another Genesis weapon for years now and instead of revealing it or destroying it, the Space Forces decided to let them finish it and add it to the defense of Earth once completed.

The SF are not concerned of that weapon will be used against them, which tells Ezalia that, the SF has already place a contingency plan should Zaft try to use it on them.

An SF officer at the meeting also told her that they have started stockpiling their nuclear weapons in the Earth sphere again, in response to Zaft blatant violation of the treaty and should Zaft use that weapon, the SF response it would be catastrophic for everyone.

However, the leader of the Atlantic Federation President Henry Hayes, he wanted Zaft's military power along Orb, to be added to the defense of Earth even though they are useless against the Goa'uld weapons and technology, they can still be used as cannon fodder.

Ezalia would have found that idea disgusting if it wasn't for the fact that they needed every bit of military power they have to repel a Goa'uld invasion and should the battle is lost, the military will have to fight tooth and nail to help the escaping spaceships flee for safety.

Ships like the JE are Noah Arks meant to preserve human civilization should Earth suddenly falls. The people they choose to save will have a better a chance of rebuilding their civilization without starting from a Stone Age level. The AF plans on going beyond the network of Stargates with the ships because, Anubis has somehow been able to locate their offworld bases and settlements by tracking their outgoing movements and this halted SGC operations.

SGC stops their gate operations on Earth hopefully to keep their remaining offworld bases undiscovered and the only means of getting there is by starships.

The JE and Jupitris ships that the Plants are contracted to build is part of the exodus plan along with the people they will choose to send off. The AF wanted the Plants participation and to make sure they say yes, the AF generously add several incentives including, the solution for their sterility…given free of charge.

'The AF is being a bit too nice and too generous for my taste' she thought because despite everything, she's still suspicious of them and all this nicety is making her hair stand out.

She needed to think and walking helps her think until she reaches one of the ships observation decks, which gives a view of the internal docks of Artemis.

'Zaft spooks would love to see this' she thought as she observe the most heavily protected secret of the Star Forces.

She can see the Star Forces fleet returning with their escort of mobile armors and mobile suits identified as the TS-MA5F Exus Dragoon, the MSN-001A1 Delta Plus a prototype MS and RGZ-91 amass production type and an RGZ-95 ReZEL. New mobile suits the AF fielded to replace their old Dagger L, Windams and others. Most of their old MS were retooled for civilian use like construction and mining works while the rest were dismantled and their parts recycled.

Seeing those new machines is making Ezalia depressed and it is because Zaft mobile suit development problems that started with Dr. Adon B. Aaynlam disappearance, the loss of valued data in the R&D department database, their prototypes MS, sabotage or destroyed and even several key members of the R&D, whose identity are known only by Zaft are found murdered.

Few people outside Zaft knew about this and those who know have kept it quiet. To keep the public from asking why no new model are coming out, and Zaft made a few excuses like, downgrading the military during peacetime and no new MS deployment was necessary for the next ten years.

The public bought it…for a while.

Zaft is unable to field new machines to replace their old ones and even now Zaft is hurrying to rebuild their database to develop new MS which is not easy. What they can do for now is to deploy new MS which is nothing more than their old MS with cosmetic changes.

While Zaft is working on getting their MS program up and running again, the AF have continued theirs offworld, which is far from prying eyes, incorporating new innovation with new materials and advance alien technology to make their machines more powerful with highly trained pilots at the helm.

There was no way to gauge of how good the AF MS are, but given the fact that they have access to resources Zaft can only dream of, then Ezalia assumes them to be far more formidable than they thought them to be.

"Damn you to hell Adon!" Ezalia curse the name that gave her a headache the size of Mt. Everest after what she discovered and now wishing she never had.

Artemis
Governor Woolsey Office

So, what do you think?" the President asks Woolsey who just returned from Io

"I think that… their leaders will start crapping in their pants once they start reading the files we gave them"

"But will they cooperate with us" Woolsey asks

"Probably," the president answered "they have a number of reasons why they have to, still, they will make some demands for their cooperation and most likely we will do the same…reasonable ones of course. I won't let this country slide back into that pit again" he shakes his head "I have no intention of letting years of hard work be spoiled. Our new path…it gave us two steps forward from everyone else, so we won't be taking three steps back"

The president opens one of the screens showing a battle record, between Anubis forces and an unnamed System Lord somewhere in the galaxy. The battle looks like an even match fight as the system lords fighting Anubis is learning, adapting and developing their own mobile suit warfare tactics, upgrading their own machine to do better in the battlefield. Yet it was not enough to hold back Anubis because Ba'al has all the data and necessary knowledge to use the suits to its maximum potential.

Interstellar mobile suit warfare is just as violent and vicious as it was on Earth and for the past year, Anubis forces have been gaining ground and with it many medium and lower class Goa'uld Lords started to side with Anubis.

"If our refugees from Chulak are of any indication, then…it's getting worst out there"

"We may not have the luxury to implement our Exodus Operation completely Mr. President" Woolsey and told him "we may need to send out what ships we have now and head towards the Patch"

"The Briar Patch" the President mutters

(From Star Trek: Insurrection)

Briar Patch the common name for a thicket formed by any of a number of unrelated thorny plants, it is also describe an area of space that starships usually avoids due to various radiation sources and energy fluctuations impairs communications systems, making it difficult for vessels inside the nebula to make contact with those outside the nebula. Cloud pockets of metreon gas, a highly volatile substance of unknown composition, made travel through the nebula difficult as well.

Within Briar Patch are several Starsystems with planets capable of human habitation, and that stargate travel is the only means to reach these isolated systems.

"It's an ideal place for our people to hide out because it's far enough away from the system lords territory" Woolsey said "the planets are habitable, rich in resources for us to start over and once we disable the gate systems in and around the patch, then we are safe from being discovered"

"That is if we can get there" said the President

"We can't use the gate outbound travel" Woolsey said "we still can't figure out how Anubis is able to track our outbound movements, so going there thru the gate is out of the question"

"So our only option is via spaceships" the heaves a sigh at the problem

The president thought about it for a moment, then he remembers his discussion with Hammond and the rest of SG-1 about Briar Patch and their search for the Lost City of the Ancients which they believe is the key to save Earth from invasion. Searching for the Lost City of the Ancients that said to possess a powerful weapon system is a long shot or a Hail Mary Pass, not that it's unusual for SG-1where they have made successful long shots a few times.

"I will have to discuss this with the Joint Chiefs, until then, we will continue building the ships as planned"

"Yes Sir"

"Continue with your negotiations with our guest, meanwhile, I need to deal with a treacherous rogue back at the office" he said with tint venom in his voice with the sense of enjoying every moment of dispensing pain to someone.

"Treacherous rogue, who"

"Kinsey" the president answered "Lady Cagalli is about make a Video call with Kinsey as a surprise guest, which we are not suppose to know but we do, thanks to our Intel boys"

"I thought we have a policy regarding no contact with anyone from the CSA government especially him!"

"Oh we do, but this guy has been trying to get in contact with us for years now and it's getting to be pain" he answered and on the president face is a grin that stretches from ear to ear "time for someone to tell Kinsey to screw himself"

The Commonwealth States of America was created from the former member nation of the Atlantic Federation who broke away in the midst of post war recovery efforts. In the beginning, 5 members nation break away by walking out of the AF Parliament and then the rest of the AF member nation representatives followed suit including several members of governments, advisors and top economists and major corporations who sees the AF as lost cause or an empty purse to fleece.

They formed the Commonwealth States of America and the rest of the world welcomed the new organization with open arms. For the remnants of the Atlantic Federation, they see this as an act of betrayal far worse than losing the war.

Unable to do anything, the AF vows to go on despite the withdrawal of many of their members, so they once again re-organize the government, returning back to a pre-AF era administration.

In the years after the CSA broke away from the AF, they enjoyed a modest economic growth and good relations with the other nations, but when the AF regained its space presence, the CSA found itself in a slow declining economy, rising unemployment due to losing trade and commerce with other nations and also a population that's becoming more and more dissatisfied on how their government is running the country due to the fact that the CSA is really less than a democracy.

Lately, the growing voice from the people who wants to rejoin the Atlantic Federation is increasing. Many are becoming openly vocal about it, saying that the current government leaders of the country are giving too much control to the corporations, special interest groups and power broker whose only concern is their business and not the welfare of the people as a whole.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties have taken a back seat, the judicial system have become more and more inclined to side with corporations and the wealthy upper class elites of society and as trade and business declines, the lines to the unemployment office stretches, and those who still have a job is not very happy with their meager earnings where taxes takes a big bite, leaving them with enough to pay utility bills costs, food, clothing and rent payments.

In an attempt to get more business, the CSA backed up by a number of corporations are trying to get into the lucrative AF market but they found themselves blocked or blacklisted by the AF government, making it a crime for anyone who tries to do business with them.

The CSA has no embassy in the AF as the AF has no embassy in the CSA, so any communication done between them is first routed to a third party like Orb. The AF have done no such contact or diplomatic ties not since the walkout and while the CSA have time and again tried to make diplomatic relations with the AF, the AF but shows no interest and rebuff all attempts of communication.

The newest CSA attempt to gain a diplomatic presence is a realtime communication with the Orb Representative, Cagalli Yula Athha with the CSA President Robert Kinsey, and seeing the man who led the infamous walkout at the AF parliament was all but infuriating for the AF President.

"I have never expected, that you, of all people, would do something like this, Cagalli Yula Athha!" the president exclaimed

"We made it clear then and I will make it clearer to you now" he started to speak the party line policy

"The Atlantic Federation has no intentions in doing business or establishes diplomatic relations with the CSA, and that is absolute!" he said and looks sharply straight at Kinsey

"Though we may have recognized them as a sovereign nation... well that doesn't mean squat to most of us!" he said

"Sir, if you hear him out, you'll understand and what he's offering you and a gift" before Cagalli could say another syllable, President Hayes quickly cut her off before saying more

"Save it Ms. Athha whatever he's offering, I won't accept it especially from him, and as for a gift, well my mother always says 'Beware of Greek Bearing Gifts'," he said

"He and the others, who walk out of the Atlantic Federation at a time when we needed everyone to get the country back on its feet, are nothing but a bunch of 'Rats off a Sinking Ship' and he's the biggest rat of them all"

The phases very much says everything, of how they feel about Kinsey and the CSA, where then until now, they haven't forgiven them and President Hayes calling another country leader, the CSA President Robert Kinsey, a rat, on his face is the height of insult.

The president starts calmly "You left us holding the bag Robert. You made THIS country, and her people suffer, you damn dirty rat" he said imitating a Bogart tone

"The public will have my head if I ever accept anything from you, and even if the world will end tomorrow, this country's policies towards the CSA won't change" he said "there is nothing you have that we want or need from you, your corporate masters"

"This conversation is over!" he exclaimed

"Don't you dare cut me off, I demand to be heard!" Kinsey spoke up realizing that he's going to lose another opportunity to speak with him

"Try going on a talk show"

"If you give me a chance maybe we could," Hayes cut the line and the image on the screen disappears and the look of desperation in his face. He then open a line to the Sec. of defense "Arthur, I'm rerouting any calls from Lady Cagalli to you, can you talk to her for a while"

"No problem, I'll talk to her Henry" he replied

"Thanks" and then closed the line

General Hammond was watching from the side and has enjoyed seeing Kinsey sweat like a pig in a rotisserie, most likely to his surprise and failure of another attempt gone wrong.

"He seems very desperate"

"He's just a dog to his corporate masters as much as Copland was to Logos" Hayes said

"So I take it that, Robert is being let go?" the president nodded

"After four years of stagnate economy and his popularity is now an all time low not to mention, the public is up in arms, oh yeah he's desperate" the president said agreeing

"He needs an image boost, which is why he's groveling in front to get into our good side" Hayes smiled with the thought of Kinsey suffering "The man deserves every pain and suffering he gets"

"Enough talk about him for now," the President said changing the subject "What's the word on SG-1"

"They have a lead on where to find the Lost City, Mr. President" Hammond answered "A week ago, SG-3 onboard the (BC-305) Wisconsin, found another repository of knowledge at P3X-439, the knowledge found there is the key to find the lost city" General Hammond reported

"SG-1 follows thru on that lead, and I gave them a support of five SG teams along with a battalion of marines and two mecha units as well as the army corps of engineer so that they could extract the repository or destroy it on site if necessary, and I even diverted the (BC-309) Santa Cruz to reinforce the Wisconsin"

"That's quite a force you sent, just to recover one repository"

"The knowledge of the Ancients spans millions of year's sir, to lose it will be tragic, to have it fall into the hands of the Goa'uld is criminal"

"Point taken" the President said agreeing with Hammond

Orb Royal Palace

"Don't you dare cut me off, I demand to be heard!" Yelled Kinsey at the screen

"Try going on a talk show"

"If you give me a chance maybe we could work something out... HENRY!" the screen went blank right in front of him

"Dammit!" he curse as he slammed his fist on the table

"Get him back" he said to Cagalli

"Sir, I am afraid," Cagalli started to explain when Kinsey cut him off

"I SAID GET HIM BACK DAMMIT, HE HAS NO RIGHT TO CUT ME OFF LIKE I'M SOME NOBODY FROM THE STREETS!" he roared in anger

"Well he just did, Mr. President" Cagalli pointed out, not exactly like being spoken to like that and she's now playing a glaring game with the man with desperation written all over his face. Kinsey back off and angrily walk out of the Cagalli's office, sensing that his welcome has just ran out

"You are welcome, Sir!" she said as he walks out 'Jerk!' she shouted out in her thoughts and regretting of why she let that man in his office in the first place

When Kinsey left she gathered up the Emirs of Orb to scream at the faces who thought this was a good idea and then they discuss what just happened and what kind of damage done when they let Kinsey in. Then Cagalli made an online conference call to the president again, however, her call were redirected to a friend, the AF Secretary of Defense, Arthur Simms.

"The President wouldn't hold it against you of what you did but 'took a deep breath and release' he is not exactly happy about you pulling that kind of surprise Rep. Attha, you of all people should have known that the CSA and Robert Kinsey are considered taboo here in the Atlantic Federation"

"I'm very sorry but, it was not my intentions to cause discomfort for you and your people Secretary Simms" Cagalli said apologizing "I was merely trying to bridge the gap between the two countries"

"It's not so much of a gap but a Grand Canyon covered in sharp stones and an Acid River flowing" he said back "No one here wants a bridge be built princess, not as long Kinsey and his cohorts are at the other side waiting to loot and plunder" Simms leans back and remembers the past and then look at Cagalli

"It was the third year of the post war recovery, that man suddenly, led a secession of member nations and he and his cohorts walkout on us and created their commonwealth with the support of the private sectors, businesses, corporation and military. They turn their backs on us! That son of a bi-" Simms finally notice that he's balling his hand in anger and hit his table and was about to rant but stop himself. Simmsexpressionlooks like he's about to blow a vein out of anger but controlled it and calms down as he realized what he just did

"Pardon me for my outburst, Lady Cagalli," he said apologizing

"The President rejection of Kinsey offer or Gift was the right thing to do because; it would be tantamount to committing political suicide if he did accept it"

"Surely there's room for reconciliation"

"Only if the people of the AF wants it, Lady Cagalli" he said "It's only been four years and many people still remembers the days of them standing in the middle of winter, in long lines to the bakery just to buy one loaf of bread, of soup kitchens and ...very, very long lines to the unemployment offices" he said

"We had 50 million people unemployed, that's 5 million unemployed for each state, our money have been devalued and to pay our debts we pay had to pay in enormous sums of gold, silver, precious stone, artworks, anything of value...we even... sold the Statue of Liberty. Simms felt a pain remembering that scene of the Statue of Liberty being dismantled, boxed and shipped to Macau because it was sold to a wealthy businessman and he use it as a display for a theme park.

The Statue of Liberty was resold back to the AF ten times the amount last year.

" Not since the twentieth century Great Depression of the 1930s America, had my country experiences such a horrible state and during which, few people came to help us, others came to give their help but it came with a price that's too much for us to afford. For three years, this country's people, languishes in despair and hopelessness except for a few of us working to the bone to get this country back on its feet. We fought the despair and the hopelessness, we fought every attempt of another break up, fought back terrorism funded by outsiders, and when we got our space presence back...many nations including the CSA, sent an invasion fleet led by former comrades in arms who thinks we can be pushed around…well we fought back and won"

"But sir," Simms raises his hand before Cagalli could say another word

"Now we also have some other issues with them, most notably, the very people pulling the strings behind Kinsey"

"Pulling the strings" Cagalli knows what that means all too clearly as Simms pick up a few file folders on his desks for Cagalli to see

"See these files, well these are files of people we kept under surveillance in the CSA, names of people we declared as a direct threat to the federation because they belong to an organization like Logos" he said

"Among those we have under surveillance were former economic and financial power brokers who once work with the government. We fired them because we found out that they were the associates of Logos and they profited heavily during the two wars. These people make Logos look like a bunch of street peddler and called themselves, the Trust."

"The Trust"

"Now ever since we open up the rest of the galaxy-'ahem' I mean solar system, the Trust have been trying to get back in, because this is where the wealth and power is now"

"You are keeping them out"

"Both by the law and immigration, we blacklisted all of them with orders to shoot on site if they even try to take a step inside the country"

"That's a bit extremely harsh don't you think"

"It's far better than the alternative that many of my colleagues suggested...but those are quite...unethical"

"Unethical" Cagalli can guess but when she saw Simms doing the 'slitting the neck' gestures, she decided just to nod "Now that is a bit extreme"

"They are dangerous Lady Cagalli" he said

"When the AF began to reform and reorganize the government and the system, many influential people did not like it because it intrudes in their interest but, we did it anyway" Simms said as he place the files back to his desks

"The government continued its reforms and reorganization starting from the executive, judicial, military and parliament, to the financial system, we enacted strict regulations on the banks and market and many more reforms are made to make sure there is fairness to all. However, many businesses and corporations didn't like our reforms and many politicians in their pocket have tried to stop these reforms but couldn't.

Have we not done these reforms then nothing will change here, and so, in act of spite, they supported Kinsey cessation from the Atlantic Federation and they invested huge sums of money to his CSA"

"But why secede, why not take over the federation, I mean pardon me but, why didn't they do what Logos did"

"They wouldn't get far if they did try something like that and also," he adds "secede and declare a new organization has a better ring to it than taking over a government of a defeated nation, a nation after the war is flat broke, deep in debts and has no friends to turn to...we were very much alone...I guess...that's probably why so many followed him" Simms still remembers the day when representatives from many nations walk out most of them were once his friends and they couldn't look at him in the eye as they walk pass him and hasn't forgotten the feeling of betrayal from his so called friends.

"Those who followed Kinsey, he promises them a revitalization of their economy which...everyone desperately needed, and this was done by using the Trust money and their connections in both the government and private sectors in many non AF countries. So, with their backing, the CSA attained recognition, Kinsey hailed a hero who led his people out of bondage like Moses and we the villain, played as the Pharaoh of Egypt"

"I never heard of this...Trust group you are talking about"

"They have many names and their members varies and unlike the Logos who's only business is producing weapons, the Trust has their hands on anything that can make a buck, including Kinsey, CSA"

-o-

When Kinsey establish the CSA, everyone welcome them as the symbol of freedom from the tyrannical and corrupt Atlantic Federation, but as time passes and fortunes changes, so does people's opinion and as the world took a second look at the CSA, they found it being run no different than the Atlantic Federation when Logos was pulling the strings, only in this set up, it is the Trust.

Kinsey accepting the Trust help has turns him into a puppet, obeying every tug of his strings by the Trust, and this has become detrimental to Kinsey, CSA.

As years pass by, government mismanagement and widespread corruption is now plaguing Kinsey administration, sections of their national budget is funding ghost projects, buying machines, equipment and materials triple the original price, pay rolling government employees that doesn't exist and funding departments that doesn't exist.

Many businesses and corporations owned by the Trust have been getting off easy from the authorities, ranging from environmental to criminal issues. People suddenly found themselves living in a as police state as their civil rights and civil liberties are being put aside in the name of National Security.

The CSA military is rumored to have been infiltrated by the Trust that a number of promotions and important position posting are being filled with officers with questionable backgrounds and some have past history with Blue Cosmos and Logos.

With all of these issues plus their declining economy, the CSA have become more and more unstable as the public have become more and more vocal in their dissatisfaction, resorting to rallies and civil disobedience and they are severely put down by the local authorities and at times, the military are deployed to it as well.

-o-

"I'll send you a file about them and have your Intel group verify it"

"Uhmn, thanks" she replied "That's very generous of you"

"Don't mention it my dear, Orb have been good to us for many years and doing good business with your country have helped fix up this broken down nation"

P3X-439

In orbit above the planet, the BC-305 Wisconsin and the BC-309 Santa Cruz is doing a death dance with six of Anubis Ha'tak mothership and hundreds space borne enemy mobile suits. The two earth ships fought the enemy toe to toe, deploying their mobile suits squads, giving SG-1 and the others time to evacuate thru the Stargate.

The Wisconsin opens up with salvos of VLS fired missiles both antiship and anti aircraft, dual railguns firing depleted naquadah-potassium rounds, Valiant's Mk. 8 and its Gottfried Mk.71" 225cm High-energy Beam Cannon, and though it look more like the ones installed on the Archangel, the ones on the Wisconsin are upgraded versions with ten times the punching power and range. The three Gottfried's, one at the front, one at the back and one at the bottom, gives the ship a nearly 360 degrees line of fire, so anything in its line of fire gets itself blasted apart. Yet despite the Gottfried's impressive range and firepower, it's one of the least effective weapons against a modified Ha'tak shields.

The Ha'tak own weapons is wrecking havoc on the shields of the Earth built warships and Colonel Everett Young, Wisconsin commander, is trying desperately to hold a defensive position while the Santa Cruz is doing high speed hit and run attacks as the 309 are designed to do.

The two ships also deployed their squadrons of Exus D mobile armors, ReZEL and GAT-X105E Strike Noir piloted by veterans with skills and experience that has been honed with training and technology that Anubis mobile suits were dropping like flies and yet despite the impressive number of kills, Anubis has more, for a single Ha'tak can carry more than 20 to 30 mobile suits, while the SGC ships carries no less than 12 each.

Colonel Everett orders, was to hold off Anubis forces so that the troops on the ground can evacuate thru the Stargate safely. His ship took every beating while it shoots down any Goa'uld troop-mobile suits transports and Al'kesh bombers that try to land on the surface.

"Keep shooting down those transports and bombers," Everett orders and then a round from the Goa'uld high energy plasma round broke thru the shields and struck Hanger bay 2

"Sir, we lost shields, Hanger bay 2 is completely destroyed" reported by an officer

"Deploy the Interceptors!" Everett orders "Keep those mobile suits away from us!"

The Interceptors are units similar to the ZGMF-X666S Legend DRAGOON Units (Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network with a beam spike) and Orb-01 Akatsuki 'Shiranui' pack, which is a mobile beam turret system and a deployable lightwave barrier field.

Deploying the Interceptors was reinforce the ships defense by absorbing some of the pounding from the Ha'tak weapons and still intent on holding the line for their people down the planet.

Then suddenly, a major blow hit them as one of Everett bridge officers directed his attention to the Santa Cruz

"Sir, the Santa Cruz!"

"Oh My God" Everett watch in horror as the Santa Cruz found itself cornered and taking heavy damage from all sides. They can see emergency escape pods being deployed and thenn they watch the ship take a sharp turn and gunned its engines to max speed towards the nearest Ha'tak, crashing thru the shields and explode, taking two other ships in a Naquadah amplified thermal nuclear explosion.

Along with the Ha'taks are several dozen mobile suits, transports and bombers got caught by the explosion, while the remaining Goa'uld forces are still dazed of what just happened, have found themselves being shot to pieces by earth mobile suits and armor who are taking their enemies stunned moment for granted.

During this moment, Everett got a message from the planet surface, SG-1 and the rest have evacuated safely, and it was time to leave, but not Everett do one last act.

"Recall all the mobile suits and prepare to fire all Mark VIII on the enemy except for one on the surface" he said "target the ruins," pointed "we'll make sure nothing of value will fall to the Goa'uld"

As the last mobile suits and mobile armor towing or carrying escape pods from the Santa Cruz, squeeze into the only undamaged hanger bay, Everett ordered the firing of the last of the remaining antiship missiles on the Ha'tak and on the planet surface, and then went into Hyperspace.

The Mark VIII detonated just a few feet from the surface, vaporizing everything from their equipments, mecha and the ruins city itself, leaving nothing for the Goa'uld to plunder.

In the safety of hyperspace, Everett is hoping that this 'fool's errand' as he calls it was worth it because it cost them a ship and hundreds of soldiers, just to find a lost city that may not even exist anymore.

To be Continued