Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate or Gundam SEED Destiny
PS. Grammar Purists get lost!
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Chapter 7
The Songstress
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CE 80
Orb
Four Years Ago, during the peace conference in Orb, a last ditch effort to avert another war, the representative of the major powers on the Earth Sphere came with an iron fist approach to the dismay of Orb and other nations not wanting another war. The major powers demands that the Atlantic Federation to stand down and surrender or face a full scale invasion of their lands and terrestrial territories across the Earth Sphere.
Ambassador Dr. Elizabeth Weir of the Atlantic Federation gave the other representative nations of the Earth Sphere one response….
NO!
Having no patience in more talks and arguments that essentially goes nowhere, the AF decided to make a different approach. A demonstration of the Star Forces new weapon should war starts.
Blossoming in the night sky above Orb, even though it's several million miles away, the Mark III 'super nukes' illuminated the night skies like a supernova with a shockwave that rattled the closest colonies like a mild wave hitting a tidal wave barrier. The Mark III needs not a direct hit for a kill, for the shockwave itself will kill everything around it and then some.
A frightening sight and a message was that was loud and clear, and when the Atlantic Federation Ambassador came forward and spoke with a cold voice to the representatives of the Earth Sphere
"Six years ago, the governments of this Cosmic Era, lay down the all the blame, all the world sins, all the crimes, all the evil committed, placed onto my country and force my country to take the blame so that you, the rest of you, Hypocrites! You lay blameless in front your own people.
You used my country to hide your own association with Logos, your support to Blue Cosmos, your failures of being leaders of your people, of your nation.
We admit to our own mistakes, our fault…can you say that? Can you lay down your own mistakes, your own fault…in front of your own people and say to them, that what we did was wrong…can you say that?
No you can't
Let's be honest everyone, this so called peace we are in is a sham. My countrymen is suffering because you trick us to take the fall alone, and in doing so, you push my country them deeper into misery and despair while the rest of you rebuilt your own nation and prosper out of their expense.
You forced us to pay unreasonable war reparations with multiple reasons as to why we must pay, which are nothing more than camouflage excuses. It's nothing more than an act to… getting even and to something very humanly simple …revenge.
Three years ago, on an Island in the Hawaiian Islands chains, there now, buried two thousand men and women who tried to build a path to the stars in order to rebuild a broken nation… their work destroyed, their life taken…murdered in cold blood and made all of you very happy, which we know.
Today…well, payback a bitch isn't it. However, the AF will not allow itself to… lower to your level…just to have its own, revenge…today…we will forgive you for what you have done to us in the past.
Today, we offer you, two choices, to worm your way out, which is more than you gave us the last time.
Choice One, WAR should you pursue this hostile actand I assure you; we shall all burn… together
Choice Two, PEACE and we will stand down and we all live in peace… but this time… it will be in our terms…fair terms… and not yours
Make a choice…NOW and quick…clocks ticking
Atlantic Federation Ambassador, Dr. Elizabeth Weir
Present Day
Ba'al Mothership
Floating above another conquered planet is Ba'al Mothership and he has just received news from his electronic spies which he implanted on many of the Plants Internet, where it gathers information using advance search systems using keywords and then turn it into compressed data, then transmits it thru via subspace in undetectable short burst to a cloak satellites then bounce it to another satellite and another until it reaches Ba'al sanctum or his Mothership.
Information's sent by his electronic spies or e-spies are however several days to a week old. However, the data sent to him was informative enough to know what is happening on Earth. Ba'al kept Earth a close watch should they become a threat to him in the near future. This latest report from his e-spies reveals that the AF is opening their doors to formerly hostile neighbors and has just been invited to Artemis to begin trade talks.
Ba'al knows that the invitation to Artemis is a signal that the AF government is finally moving to involve the other nations in their project. A project to leave Earth to escape the coming soon invasion… an invasion they know that they cannot defend against.
Using the Stargate to move many people from Earth to another planet is not an option, thanks to his wormhole tracking systems which is the reason why the AF is building FTL capable spaceships. The intent is to move as many people away from Earth in order to save their civilization should Earth falls.
It's now ten years since the day he left the Plants, but his e-spies kept him well informed of what is happening in the Earth Sphere. Information from his e-spies shows indications that the AF is recovering at an astounding pace, and then he had a run in with the elusive Tau'ri, namely SG-1 team, about five years ago and soon he figured out how the AF is recovering so rapidly.
Ba'al was shock to find out that the Tau'ri are the humans from Earth using the Stargate network as their means to explore the galaxy, but also, to gather resources to restore the Atlantic Federation back into power.
Stargate Command, a division of AF Military, has restored the Atlantic Federation superpower status with a modest yet powerful, interstellar fleet capable of roaming the galaxy.
The Tau'ri, represented by Stargate Command, is considered a mild nuisance by the Goa'uld System Lords but lately, they are slowly rising up as a threat and would have been dealt with if not for the interference of the Asgard and the Goa'uld fears the Asgard that a treaty was signed to keep Earth safe…then Anubis came to town.
Anubis has ordered the destruction of all of Stargate Command offworld resources, bases and colonies, deny them Stargate travel and destruction of their spaceships should one is located. Anubis is well aware of Earth and the threat it represents to his rule and once he has dealt with the civil war with the other system lords, he will turn his sights on Earth and destroy it.
While Ba'al reads the latest's news from earth, he was interrupted by Anubis holographic image appearing before him. He made the standard Goa'uld greeting which bowing before the presence of his lord.
"Ba'al"
"Yes My Lord" Ba'al thoughts of why did he calls him this time and suspects that it's about the Tau'ri, and that it may be the time to deal with them
"Prepare to assemble a fleet of 500 ships and ten thousand Mobile Suits," he said "be ready to attack Yu territories at my command"
"At once, My Lord" he replied with no hint of disappointment in his tone
'For now, Earth's luck is holding… for now'
Orb
After Kira had a meeting with Cagalli and the others; he went straight home to speak to his wife who at the moment is tending their backyard garden while the multitude of her Haro's toys are bouncing around and playing with each other.
It's been four years since the signing of the amended Treaty of Aprillius, and it's also the same time Lacus resigned her position as the Plants Supreme Council Member because she has lost faith with the governing body of the Plants.
In the four years since she left the Plants, the colonies is on a steady decline, as unemployment is rising due to their economy's sluggish performance and Zaft continuous demand for more funding for their military projects and the expansion of the armed forces as their space territories grew ever larger in order to protect the Plants.
In these trying times, the Plants population is having a hard time adjusting to their current situation they are in, that many citizens left the Plants colonies to find work elsewhere in the Earth Sphere and whatever they earn, they send remittance to their cash strap families back home.
Surprisingly, many of them found work in the last place they choose to set foot on…the Atlantic Federation. People with specialized skill sets are in high demand in the AF. Mainly from the up and coming companies that sprouted up four years ago, rivaling the many mega corporations that abandon the AF and settled somewhere else.
Coordinators living and working in the AF were tolerated or racial tolerance has always been practiced in North America even before the formation of the Atlantic Federation. For it was only because of militant purist group like 'Blue Cosmos' whose violence and twisted idea of racial purity and 'Logos' who exploited the bad feelings of naturals as a means to earn a profit.
Human Rights observers based on the country are watching the AF carefully and gave reports of a few incidences but most are not serious yet some tries to over blow it. In a surprise twist, the Plants colonies are having a rash of race related violence and hate crimes, mostly against Naturals who represents only a quarter of the Plants population. Many observers however, are bias for the Plants, as many commit double standards, downplaying several of these incidences and even blaming the very victims for the crimes.
Lacus finds it distressing to hear these reports too often in the Plants news network. Lacus had thought that something like that would have ended after the war…after everything they went thru and all the sacrifices of so many people made during the war, and the local authorities have done nothing about it, even downright ignoring the problem and this is causing another rift between Naturals and Coordinators.
Lacus even hears rumors of Naturals being fired from their jobs or being replaced with coordinators with minor or no reason. Not believing in rumors, she had those rumors investigated and to her dismay… many of which were true and some seems to be of economic in reasons.
The Naturals who find themselves unemployed have started leaving the Plants to find work elsewhere, taking with them their knowledge and technical expertise in numerous fields of science, engineering, medicine and others.
The stagnating economy at the Plants is pushing many coordinators to commit these acts, and as naturals can leave and find work elsewhere in the Earth Sphere, coordinators (well the majority of them) don't want to leave the safety and security of the Plants for many still fears discrimination or being targeted by anti-coordinator terror groups still hiding in the shadows, and as the Plants loose more business to the continuously expanding AF market, so shall the rise of unemployment.
In the four years since she left, the Plants economy staggers as their trading partners is taking most of their business somewhere else, and this resulted in a trade deficit as imports exceed their exports. The Plants Industrial output slows down due to the decreasing demand of their manufactured goods and products resulting to layoffs and unemployment.
To reverse this trend, The newly elected Plants Supreme Council has been trying to open diplomatic relations with the AF thru mediators like Orb in order to gain access to the AF market. So far, the AF has not budge an inch for four years, and when the AF invited them to a 'contract to bid' to build spaceships for a massive solar system colonization. The Plants Supreme Council, immediately jump for the chance and agreed to send envoys to Artemis.
Lacus heard glowing reports from news announcements about the meeting at Artemis base, it indicates it's is going smoothly. She knows that this could open the AF Market for the Plants and in doing so, bring more business to their economy.
However, Lacus notices in the news footages, some subtle signs of distress and worrying concerns in the faces of the delegates who try to hide it with forced smiles in front of the media.
'Something's wrong' was her thought a few days ago and it bothered her
"Lacus" someone called her name back at the house and when she looks back, she sees her husband, Kira, holding up a flash drive.
"You need to see this" he said almost sounding urgent and from Kira expression, it doesn't look good
Inside the house, Lacus reviewed copies of files Ambassador Argyle brought back from Artemis, and to say she was surprise was an understatement, as the greatest secret humanity is lay before her by the screens of her home computer.
"Stargate" Kira then explain what was discussed at the meeting with Cagalli and what they planning to do next
"There's gonna be a meeting, a summit meeting of world leaders in Hawaii at Camp Gerard…Cagalli wants you to be part of the delegation participating there" he said "She's asking for your help…but I don't want you to go there" Kira added and that surprise Lacus
"Kira"
"I know you want to go there and pay your respects but…you are not exactly welcome over there" he said "Many people over there still blame you of what had happen, and this summit of world leaders will have a lot of people will be coming out protesting and…"
"I am aware of that Kira… I am still going" Lacus said interrupting him softly
"Kira, I want to go there because… several names on the memorial wall were once members of Terminal, and I want to pay my respects" she said speaking with sadness in her voice
"Kira, you know that several members of Terminal came from the Atlantic Federation, and they followed me, followed my cause hoping that supporting us will help get rid of Blue Cosmos now in control of their country and establish a lasting peace between Naturals and Coordinators. They are our staunchest allies and friends during the wars" Lacus pulled a photo album from one of the drawers and she showed pictures of people working behind the scenes.
"We don't see them often because they work in the background, doing maintenance and clerical work and making sure that we have all the materials, equipment and supplies we need to fight the good fight" Lacus said
"At first glance, they don't seem all that special, but their heart is in the right place and they are the backbone of Terminal. And without them, we would never have succeeded" she look at the faces of the people in the pictures with great sadness and a sense of guilt.
"After the Treaty of Aprillius was signed, most of them left Terminal, and they all felt that I betrayed them, of what I did or did not do on that day" she said sadly
"A few years later, I heard that most of them went to volunteer to work on the new mass driver for the Atlantic Federation, and along with the support of their government, they also put up their own wealth and resources in the endeavor to rebuild their nation…I tried to send support via Orb, but they said that…they will not accept anything from the likes of me"
It was a harsh response from dear friends who felt betrayed by her which Lacus understand their feelings all too well. The last page on the album is a newspaper cut out of the destruction of the mass driver project. It broke Lacus heart when she heard of the destruction of the AF mass driver project and the murder of the engineers and personnel working there.
"Everything went downhill for them from then on… I tried to create a bridge between the Plants and the Atlantic Federation, I offer of aid and economic assistance to help their beleaguered country, but the government decline every goodwill gesture I made, and even the humanitarian aid from the Plants sent was rejected" she closed the album
"They are a prideful people, believing that they can lift up their country with their own strength, without our aid or assistance. But if they do want to be indebted to anyone, It won't be us, who they believe is responsible for not just what happened in Hawaii but to everything…and maybe they are right" she said
"I have no proof but, but I suspected that key members of the Plants supreme council at that time were involve with members of Zaft Command and they authorized a Black Ops mission to attack and destroy the AF Mass Driver project" she said and that surprised Kira
"I thought it was a rogue operation that the Council and Zaft Command were unaware of?" Lacus shook her head as she knows otherwise
"No, the attack was a sanctioned operation and that I was kept in the dark, and that nine of the twelve members who participated on the attack were murdered to protect the members of the Council and Zaft involvement and I suspect the AF government knew about it but did not pursue it during the peace conference, but used it to blackmail the council, should fear is not enough to encourage them" she said
"The loss of the mass driver project was catastrophic; the daily life for the people in the Atlantic Federation became harder, after the majority of their member nations walk out and created a new government, the CSA" she said as she sat down on the couch
"Every day was a hard struggle for them, and the actions of many nations who are hostile to them did not help, and though the whole world sympathizes for their loss, they still turn their backs on them and took a blind eye on what was really happening" …
'The peace that we fought so hard to achieve is not the peace we wanted' she thought sadly. She stood up and walks up towards the window, looking out and remembering how AF Ambassador Elizabeth Weir gave the other representative nations… two choices and not demands but choices that will decide the fate of humanity.
The Star Forces showed what awaits everyone if war is chosen, and it pretty much frightened everyone to return to their seats and accept the AF terms of peace
Peace by their terms was chosen and with it, the reemergence of the Atlantic Federation the likes of which can be compared to that of the Phoenix rising from its own ashes.
Four Years of staggering recovery and light speed advances the likes of which never seen since the beginning of the twentieth century, Industrial Revolution. The Atlantic Federation planned the release of advance technologies, resources from the far corners of the solar system are now much more accessible followed by colonial expansion across the system.
The depression that was once widespread in the Atlantic Federation, gone, unemployment went down as the demands for human resources skyrocketed due to a revitalized economy, making them a major economic power once again and with it increase military funding.
"This Stargate, in their possession is worrisome for everyone I take it?" Lacus said and Kira nodded in acknowledgement
"The Stargate gave the AF military access to the galaxy at large, so who knows how much they have gained for ten years and how much they have advance since the war" Kira said "negotiations with them is going to be difficult and uhmn…" Kira was reluctant to say it, however Lacus understood him well enough to know what he was thinking
"Kira, I know I failed to do what I was suppose to have done ten years ago" she said admittedly "And if could, I want to undo all my mistakes" Kira then said as he embrace her to comfort her
"You made one mistake Lacus" he said
"And yet that one mistakes is the biggest mistake I made in my entire life…one that I should have corrected" she replied and then she look back to Kira
"If anyone else asks my help, I would say no" she said "But I will do this for Cagalli… I will help as much as could" she told him and Kira smiled and said
"And I will be by your side all the way"
To be Continued