Phase Ten: Burning Clouds of Sand
I do not own Chris, Liz, or Johanna Dante, Saul, Ian, or Diana Kessel, John Alaric, the 11th Fleet, the Raven, or the Surge Gundams. They all belong to Akatsuki_Leader13. Nor do I own Gundam. I only own Akira, Tao, Nisha, NASA/NAZAFT, the 7th Fleet, the Wing, Z.A.M., and Diver Gundams.
CT7567Rules: Sorry, but I already had this planned out. :(
KentLinuxStadfelt: Yes, you know who is coming~! XD
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Anyway, please read and review!
C.E. 71 – War has been raging for 11 months between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs. With their superior numbers, it seemed inevitable the Earth Forces would win. But the PLANTs unveiled new technology and began to gain the upper hand. Now, 10 months after the initial conflict began, the war is at a stalemate…
Heero Yuy grunted as he struggled to keep control of Wing Zero as he moved towards the ship that was descending. An alarm told him that he was right over it, and he set Wing Zero down on the legged ship. He then looked back, only to see the Earth getting bigger by the minute. 'Looks like we're heading down to Africa…' he mused.
A beep of his radio got his attention. "Unknown mobile suit, this is the Earth Alliance carrier Archangel, the ship you are currently standing on. Identify yourself at once." A female voice ordered.
'Earth Alliance?' Heero wondered as he pushed the radio button on his console.
In the ship, Captain Ramius looked at Sai. "Any response?"
"It's highly unlikely that he can at this point. Chris, Nisha, and Kira, are all out, and they are Coordinators!" he replied just as an image of a person in a space suit came on. It was similar to a ZAFT pilot suit except for the helmet, yet all facial features were hidden behind the tinted glass.
"This is Heero Yuy in Wing Zero responding to the Earth Alliance carrier Archangel." A young man's voice said. In Wing Zero, Heero could pick out the leader, as she was sitting in the captain's chair.
"Heero Yuy, I am Captain Murrue Ramius." The woman, who had brown hair and brown eyes, said.
"I am returning your mobile suit to you. In return though, I wish for a place to resupply and repair my machine as well as figure out what is going on." Heero explained.
"Very well, but be warned, any threat against this ship will be dealt with." She replied.
"Understood." Heero said.
In the Archangel, Captain Ramius looked to Mirillia. "Can we open the hanger?"
"Hanger bay opening." Miri replied as the large doors opened.
As the captain got up, everyone looked at her with a questioning look. "I am heading down to see this Heero Yuy and thank him." She explained. With that, she turned and left for the hanger. As this was happening, Heero was guiding Wing Zero into the hanger, carrying the last machine in, the very one he had rescued, which had lost all of its coloring. Slowly, he lowered the Z.A.M. Gundam to the deck, a man in an orange jumpsuit observing the whole situation with a confused look on his face. Heero then walked Wing Zero over to one of the MS docking bays. He was lucky that his machine fit, considering the big engines on the back of it. He then went through the power down sequence, just as the captain of the ship arrived.
Captain Ramius stared for a few seconds as she observed the new machine. It did have some things in common with the Strike, but it had some bigger differences as well. There were a few dents and cuts all over the body. 'That machine must have seen some tough battles.' She noted in her mind.
"What is happening here?" Chief Murdoch asked as his team opened up the Z.A.M. Gundam, the Raven, and the Strike, pulling out the three unconscious pilots.
"This machine saved the Z.A.M. Gundam." Captain Ramius replied.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as the engines shut off, the new mobile suit did not lose its coloring. A door below the big green circle on the chest opened up, the person emerging from the cockpit. Removing the helmet, the person was revealed to be a boy about the same age as the three Coordinators. He had blue eyes and brown hair, and his pilot suit was black with hints of red and white on it. The boy grabbed a pulley and put his foot in the loop, just as it started to lower him to the ground. Once his foot touched the ground, the pulley retracted itself and the door closed up. The few soldiers there were on edge as Captain Ramius approached him.
"You must be Heero Yuy, I assume?" she asked.
"Yes, and right now I am taking a great risk by trusting you, but it seems I have to real choice but to do so right now." Heero said as he looked into the woman's eyes.
'How can his eyes be so cold, like those of a trained killer?' Captain Ramius thought. 'But…he's only a boy…'
"All I want to do is rearm and repair my Gundam and then I will be out of here." Heero said as Captain Ramius looked at him in shock.
"Is that your machine?"
"Yes, but if anyone tries to mess with it, it will self-destruct and destroy the ship."
Captain Ramius nodded her head in understanding, but deep down, she was shaking. "I understand, but we need to talk to you first. Then we will repair your mobile suit."
"So why were you picking a fight with those punks?" Chris asked.
"Actually, I wasn't trying to pick a fight them." Zane said. "I detest violence."
"Well, then you probably should have kept your mouth shut."
"No. I won't back down from my beliefs." Zane said. "Coordinators, Naturals. We're all people. Flawed, but decent people. This petty hatred Coordinators and Naturals must end."
"Then you should learn to fight. So you can defend yourself."
"I told you, I detest violence, even if it's to defend myself."
"You really believe that, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Well then. I tell you what, as you keep on saying that and won't defend yourself. Then those that want to beat you up because of that will have to get through me first."
"So, why did you leave for 2 years?" Nisha asked Akira.
"I wanted to have some time to myself, that's all…" Akira replied. Nisha could see that his cousin was torn between something, yet he let it slide. It was not like he had to know anyway…
"Where did you go?" Nisha asked. The black-haired Coordinator jumped slightly at the question, but answered. "I-I went to N-New Juneau." He replied.
"Ah…Nice place there." Nisha laughed. "Yeah…sure…" Akira replied.
There was no wind on the PLANT where Akira was living, just like in all the PLANTs, so there were no breezes like on Earth.
Yet Nisha never knew what was bothering his cousin…and he wanted to know so that he could help. Akira never revealed what was bothering him…
Chris let out a groan as he turned on the bed. He was in the medical bay of the Archangel in an unconscious state. An I.V. was in his arm and he was soaked with sweat. Flay tried to bring down his fever with a wet cloth pressed to his head, yet it did little to help. Across from Chris was Kira, who was basically in the same state as he was, as was Nisha.
"How are they, doc?" Taikyu asked. Like any parent, he was there to see if his child was alright.
Liz was also concerned for her brother.
"Well, despite the fever, none of them have internal injuries or infections. All that we can really do at this point is give them lots of fluids and try to lower their body temperatures…" the doctor replied with a sigh.
"That's all you can do?" Sai asked.
"This is the first time I have given medical treatment to a Coordinator. I am no expert when it comes to diagnosing their symptoms either. All I know is that the capabilities of their bodies are far greater than ours. I would not worry about them too much…" Doctor Hunnicutt replied.
"But, my son-"
"They may look like us, sir, but their internal capabilities are completely different from the rest of us here, aside from Miss Dante here. Coordinator bodies are capable of far greater strength, their minds capable of acquiring more knowledge than ours, and no fatal illnesses can develop with that immune system of theirs." Hunnicutt explained.
Taikyu felt rage fill his body. "So you are saying that they are not human?!" he growled out in a low voice. The doctor gulped.
"N-n-no, not at all!" he stammered out. Taikyu just growled.
"My son is a Coordinator, but that does not make him any less human! His genes are just modified, that's all!" the Natural snapped.
"I u-understand, s-sir…" Hunnicutt replied.
At that moment, the door slid open, and Mu entered the room, having heard the exchange. "I heard what you were saying to the doctor, Taikyu…" the blonde-haired man said with a serious look.
Taikyu just glared at Mu. "So? What is it to you?" he snarled. Mu just sighed.
"I just wanted to let you know, not everyone will have the beliefs about Coordinators that you have, and that includes the doctor. Anyway, what's going on here, doc?" Other than the little fight that occurred here… Mu did not add the last part, for he knew that the other Natural would be upset about it.
"Well, other than Mr. Itsuno's little out-burst, I was explaining to them that, Mr. Dante, Mr. Yamato and Mr. Itsuno's son will be alright." Hunnicutt replied.
"Well, that is good news." Mu exclaimed. "They all took a tremendous pounding out there, not to mention the near-crash landing both Chris and Kira went through. Nisha was saved by a new machine apparently."
"What sort of machine?" Miri asked.
Mu had a thoughtful look on his face as he glanced at her. "The new machine is a Gundam as well, but completely different in armor composition. Other than that, we know nothing about the machine or its pilot, Heero Yuy as he calls himself."
Everyone was silent before Mirillia spoke up again.
"Hey, Liz?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"The last thing I heard from Chris was a name he shouted. Does he know anyone named Zane?"
Liz's eyes went wide with shock. "Wh...What did you say?"
"He said the name Zane."
"That's impossible." Liz said. "Zane was his best friend at Junius Seven. But he's dead. Killed in the Bloody Valentine."
"But couldn't he have survived like you too did and become a ZAFT pilot?" Sai asked.
Liz shook. "No. He was a total pacifist. He hated it when Chris fought to protect him from bullies. Zane would never step into a mobile suit, no matter what the situation."
"We landed way off course." Mu said as he looked at the charted landing site.
"Well, we could not lose any of the machines." Captain Ramius explained. "But right now, Heero Yuy has my attention."
"I saw that kid's machine, and I must say, it's damn impressive alright." Mu said with an admiring tone in his voice. "What has my attention though is that it did not power down."
"It is powered down, or so he says. According to the chief engineer though, there are no power readings from it. So it is powered down. But what it is made out of is really interesting. Its armor is four times as hard as the Phase Shift, but it does not require any power to run it." Captain Ramius mused.
"Does he have a name for it?" Ensign Badgiruel asked.
"Gundanium." Captain Ramius replied. "That is why he calls it a Gundam."
"Okay then. The big questions are where he is from, and if he is a Coordinator or a Natural." Mu said.
"Well, that is where it is confusing. His reaction times are higher than even Kira's, yet he has no DNA markers to increase his abilities, and he had too many scars from broken bones, yet his skeletal structure seems to be harder than a normal human's. So we are not sure if he is either." Captain Ramius noted.
"How is that possible?" Badgiruel asked.
"He did say he was trained from birth to be a soldier." Mu replied. "As to where he is from, that…I have a feeling you would not believe, so there is no point in telling you right now. Besides, we are not sure if we believe it ourselves."
As the three were talking, Heero sat in Wing Zero's cockpit looking at one of the screens. "Damage appears to be minimal, which is good. It means fewer repairs." Heero noted as a data sheet shot up onto the screen. "I know, Zero, but Relena wanted to marry me against my will, and I need to stay dead in her mind. And we need to repair you. So, shall we begin?"
Vesalius…
Athrun stood in the pilot's lounge, his eyes on the Mobile Suit hanger. His thoughts had drifted towards Kira. He was torn now. He and the other boy had once been best friends, yet now they were enemies it seemed.
"There you are." Nicol said as he and Saul entered the hanger. "I have been looking everywhere for you."
Athrun faced the two of them.
"Yzak, Dearka, and Akira have landed safely on Earth." Nicol reported.
"As did that lunatic Scicorro." Saul added.
"They're all at the Gibraltar Base now. We don't know when they are supposed to return though."
"Is Yzak's wound still bothering him?" Athrun asked, concerned for the other boy.
"I doubt it, Athrun. A guy like Yzak would keep on fighting, no matter what type of wound her has." Nicol replied. "Hell, I bet he is demanding to get resupplied and sent out to hunt down the legged ship right now!"
Athrun chuckled at the mental sight of that. "Yeah, that does sound like something Yzak would do." He said. "So, what are our orders now?"
Saul shrugged. "Don't really know. We are heading back to the PLANTs, though. Something about a new operation. I do know that we are getting some R and R after this though, that's for sure!"
The next day…
Captain Ramius walked into the bridge and took her seat. "What's the news about Heero Yuy?"
"He never reported to the assigned quarters we gave him." Ensign Badgiruel replied. "He was repairing his machine all night."
"All night?" Captan Ramius asked in shock.
"Yes, and he has not eaten either." Badgiruel said as she pulled up a video of Heero working on rearming the shoulder Gatling guns single-handedly, as well as repairing any scratches and cuts on his machine.
'That boy is a machine.' Captain Ramius thought as she watched the video.
Heero went over the checklist one more time before he sighed. "Checking is complete. I know, Zero. I know I need sleep." He said as he leaned the chair back, making it go flat while Zero closed the door with a click. Heero then closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
Hours later
Archangel…
Chris opened his eyes slowly. As his blurred vision came into focus slowly, he could see something perched on his head.
"Birdie."
"GGGYYAAAAHHHH!" Chris screamed, startling Birdie from its forehead perch. "KIRA!"
The robot landed on Kira's shoulder. The boy was sitting upright in his bed and laughing at the sight. "Why does that thing like to sit on my head all the time?"
Nisha also laughed. Like Kira, he was sitting up in bed.
"Come on, Birdie is just trying to be friendly." Kira replied.
"No, 'it's trying to make a nest' is more like it…" Chris grumbled from his bed.
Kira just laughed again. "It's just a robot pet. It has no idea on how to make a nest."
"If I wake up with twigs in my hair the next time it does that, I'm dismantling it!"
Nisha could not help burst out laughing at the comment. "That would be a sight to see!" he chuckled.
The door then opened and Flay entered the room. She was carrying a tray of food and several glasses of water. "Chris, I see you woke up." She exclaimed, setting the tray down near the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel like I went through an out of control plane landing and then a volcano…" Chris grunted. "What happened out there?"
"What do you remember last?" Kira asked.
"NO! Don't! That's a civilian shuttle!" Chris shouted. "There are only innocent civilians on board!"
"Innocent? There is no such thing as innocence amongst the human race!" Zane shouted back. "It's time you learned that!"
Zane fired his railgun. The round tore through the shuttle, like a knife through paper. The shuttle exploded, killing all on board. "NOOOOOO!" Chris screamed.
"The shuttle being destroyed." Chris bitterly said. "Fighting Z-the GINN. And that's about it."
"Well, the GINN activated its ballute and escaped when the gravity was getting too much." Kira explained. "Then you passed out. I tried to pull you back to the Archangel but the Strike's thrusters weren't enough. Then the Archangel pulled itself under us and landed us on the ship. Then I passed out as well."
"Well, it looks like I owe you one, Kira." Chris exclaimed.
"Don't mention it."
"No, I always find a way to pay back my debts."
Chris then coughed a hoarse cough. It felt like he had not had anything to drink in weeks, and his throat was bone dry.
"Here, Chris. Have some water." Flay said as she handed him a glass.
Chris sat up and grabbed the glass immediately. He downed the whole thing in one gulp. "Thank you."
Flay then handed Kira his food tray and drink, Nisha getting his last. "I'll go and get you something to eat, if you want." She said as she stood up to leave for the exit.
"I would like that, yes." Chris replied. Flay smiled somewhat, still unsure if trusting Coordinators was right. Yet, these three had done so much for the Archangel, so she decided to give them a chance. Then, she left.
Chris sighed. "Kira, Nisha, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"What?"
"That red GINN that destroyed the shuttle was piloted by my best friend."
"What?" Kira gasped in shock at those words.
"Hah?!" Nisha's eyes widened at the very mention of that information. "But…But how? Didn't he die? And what happened to him?"
Chris shook his head. "I guess not. Plus, a year ago, he was a total pacifist. He hated violence in all its forms. Even when I defended him from guys that wanted to beat him up, he hated it. He also believed that no Coordinator was better than a Natural and vice versa. But now...He's become a monster."
"I'm sorry." Kira said.
"I…did not know…" Nisha replied in a soft voice.
Chris hung his head. "I'm sorry to lay this all on you. I know you have your own things to deal with. The pilot of the Aegis is your friend. And Nisha's cousin betrayed us."
"You know about Athrun?" Kira blurted in surprise.
The other boy nodded. "I know that the two of you were friends from before the war started. And that's about it."
"…" Nisha was silent as he listened in. In his mind, he replayed everything that had happened up to today. He really wanted to know what Akira was thinking, but alas, he couldn't. 'If I only knew what those guys did to her…' he thought. 'Then maybe I would be able to understand you a bit better, Aki'…'
Kira looked down at the bed sheets, his purple eyes filled with regret and reflection. "It's true. Athrun and I went to the same lunar prep school. We both left before the war started. Athrun returned to the PLANTs, I went to Heliopolis."
"You know something. This whole war is messed up. A boy that hated violence becomes a cold-blooded monster. Two pairs of friends and a pair of family members end up fighting on opposing sides. And for what? A pointless war that's brought pain and misery to everyone." Chris sighed and shook his head. "This whole thing is FUBAR."
"What are you going to do?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to stop him...one way or another." Chris said bitterly. "All I ask is that you two avoid fighting that red GINN if we ever encounter them again. Unless you have no other choice. I'll do the same with the Aegis and the Wing."
Liz entered the medical bay a half hour later. "Hey guys, we got a new machine on our side." She said as everyone looked at her.
"What?" Chris asked.
Liz pointed at Nisha. "The machine's pilot saved Nisha from being lost to us." She explained.
"Really? Is that why I was rescued?" Nisha asked.
Liz nodded and grinned. "Yep. The pilot submitted a blood sample to determine if he is a Natural or a Coordinator, and he is a Natural."
"Wait, hold on…A Natural saved Nisha while piloting a mobile suit?!" Chris asked in amazement.
His sister just shrugged. "As far as I know." She replied.
Chris was silent as were the other two; all of them were contemplating the news Liz had just told them…
That night…
"So, that is the new ship of the Earth Forces…" a woman said as she held binoculars and a coffee mug in hand. "What is it called again? The 'Red Angel'?"
"No, that is the not the name. This one is called the Archangel." A blonde-haired girl replied.
The woman just chuckled at the name. "That's funny, considering how that ship has been an Angel of Doom for the Earth Forces. Think about it. Heliopolis, Artemis Base, Admiral Halberton and the 8th Fleet. They all fell after coming into contact with that ship, while the ship itself escapes." She replied. "Believe it or not, the fact that the ship survived all of those encounters is a testament to the crew, the Mobile Suits, and the ship itself. They are what we need to push the Desert Tiger, or Waltfeld, out of the area."
Sahib Ashman, the rebel leader nodded. But he had one question. "How do you know that they will even help us, Victor?"
Victor sipped his coffee. "Very good…the perfect blend too…" he replied before answering the question. "They are just as desperate as we are. They are in the middle of enemy territory, they do not know of the recent events here on Earth, and they are in the Tiger's very own sector. They will have no choice but to call on us...especially with the 'Maverick Fleet' out there…"
"Chief!" a rebel shouted. "We have received word! The Tiger's just left the Lesseps with five BuCUEs! He is on course for that ship!"
"Should we help?" another rebel asked.
"No, not yet…" Victor answered. "We need to know their strength first. If they fall here, then they aren't the ones to help us defeat the Tiger anyway…"
'But if they do survive this encounter, then they are the ones to help us end this war…' Victor added mentally.
Lesseps…
Field Marshal Andrew Waltfeld looked out at the sand rushing past the ship as his crew returned from a series of military exercises. He smiled as his lover, Aisha Marlene, walked up beside him. "Quite a sight to see, eh?" he asked her.
"Yes, it is. Often times we never get to see such a sight up in the PLANTs." She replied.
Waltfeld glanced back at the scene outside the window. "I hear that the legged ship has arrived here on Earth with a new addition."
"Yes, they did. But we know nothing about the new machine, not even what it looks like or its pilot, for that matter."
Andy then laughed. "Well, it will be interesting to see what it can do then. Especially since the 'Maverick Fleet' is here on Earth now as well."
"Ah! You mean…?"
"Yep. I mean them alright. Besides, if anyone has the best ace in ZAFT, it is the 7th Fleet, and she is not known as the 'Lightning Goddess' for nothing."
Aisha laughed as she remembered the younger woman. "If anyone is capable of fighting the new machine, it is her."
Archangel…
"Ma'am! I'm detecting lasers locking onto us! We're being targeted!"
"Take us to level one battle stations! We need to come out of this alive!" Badgiruel ordered.
Outside the bridge, Heero was heading to the hanger to get ready to launch. He knew that helping out the ship was the only way he could repay them for allowing him to rearm and repair his machine. And it was what Relena would want…
Hanger…
Nisha, Chris, and Kira quickly climbed into their machines while Mu waited for Murdoch, Taikyu, and the hanger crews to get one of the three Skygraspers the 8th Fleet had given them online. Nearby was the machine that had saved Nisha, the one called Wing Zero. Its pilot was already in the cockpit, ready to launch.
"Why haven't we been ordered to launch yet?" Kira wondered.
"We do not know the full strength of the enemy yet, and the Mobile Suits are not designed for this type of terrain." Badgiruel replied.
"The Raven's mobile armor won't be affected by the desert terrain. I can launch and deal with the enemy. And if things get too hairy, Kira and Nisha can launch and back me up." Chris said. "But I'm not sure about the new machine…"
"Very well." Murrue said. "Launch the Raven."
The Raven was quickly loaded onto the catapult. "Raven Gundam launching." Chris said before the catapult activated, launching the mobile suit into the air.
Chris immediately transformed the Raven into its mobile armor mode. He flew towards the helicopter, firing his machineguns at them. He shot down one while the other two fled. "You attack us and think that you just get away. I don't think so."
"They've deployed the Raven." Martin said.
"As expected." Andrew said. "Spring the trap. Let's see how well it fights when it's grounded."
Suddenly, from behind a sand dune, a pair of BuCUEs equipped with missile launchers, fired a barrage of missiles at the Raven. "Damn it." Chris swore as he dodged most of the missiles.
But some hit their target, sending the Raven crashing into the ground. Chris transformed it back to its mobile suit mode. However, Chris found the feet of his machine sinking into the ground.
"Damn it. This sand's too loose. I can't get a decent footing. I need to get back into the air."
Chris activated the Raven's thrusters, launching the mobile suit into air. Only to have another barrage hit him, sending the machine back to the ground. The two BuCUEs emerged from their hiding place, circling the Raven. The first one lunged at him. But Chris used his thrusters to leap out of the way. However, the second BuCUE anticipated this and slammed into the moment he land. "Gah...Archangel, launch the Strike and Z.A.M. Gundam. I need some cover fire, so I can get back in the air."
"Roger. Launching the Strike and Z.A.M. Gundams now." Miriallia said.
"Tell them to watch out. Moving in this sand is a pain in the ass."
The Strike armed with the Launcher Striker, was launched from the Archangel, the Z.A.M. Gundam right behind it. They landed on a dune overlooking the Raven and the BuCUEs. The second the Strike's feet touched the sand, it sank, but the Z.A.M. Gundam was faster in sinking.
"Whoa..."
"WHAT?!" Nisha was surprised by the sheer speed in which his machine sank into the sand. "This is not cool, man!"
Chris couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I told you the sand was nightmare."
The helicopters returned, firing on the two machines. Some missiles slammed into the Strike while the others hit the shield of the Z.A.M. Gundam.
"They've deployed X-105 and X-117-A." Martin said.
"Deploy the remaining BuCUEs. I want to see their capabilities." Andrew said.
Five more BuCUEs emerged, four with railguns and one with a missile pod, firing on the Strike and Z.A.M. Gundam. The impacts of the weapons forced the two machines down the dune, towards the Raven. Kira fired back with the Agni cannon. But the BuCUEs were too fast for him.
"Those machines may be strong in space, but here on Earth BuCUEs rule!" a BuCUE pilot shouted.
Meanwhile, Chris wasn't having much luck either. The two BuCUEs hounding him were too fast for him to hit them either. "Damn it." Chris cursed as a BuCUE dodged the rounds from his railgun. "Kira, Nisha, if either of you got any ideas, now would be the time."
"Cover me for moment." Kira said, as he pulled out the keyboard and started typing.
The Raven leapt into the air, landing besides the Strike and Z.A.M. Gundam. Chris fired on BuCUEs, not trying to hit them, but trying to keep them on the move and not firing at them. A barrage of missiles streaked towards the three. Chris fired his railgun at the missiles. The rounds hit some of the missiles, setting them off. The explosions took out the rest. The Z.A.M. Gundam also fired on the missiles, its shoulder cannons causing them to explode in mid-flight.
Suddenly, the Strike got up, now standing on top of the sand, and fired, taking out a BuCUE's missile pod. Another BuCUE tried to tackle the Strike. The Strike spun and slammed its cannon into the BuCUE, sending it flying. The first BuCUE tried to tackle the Strike from behind. But Kira was faster, driving the Strike's elbow into it, knocking it onto its back. Kira fired the Agni, destroying it.
Chris suddenly realized what Kira had done. He had adjusted the OS to the desert terrain. "Why didn't I think of that?" he said to himself. "Kira, you cover me while I adjust my OS."
"Right."
Chris pulled out the keyboard and started adjusting the OS. He wasn't as fast as Kira, but he still managed to adjust it pretty quickly. "I'm good." he said, the Raven taking its first solid step on the sand. "Let's see how you like me now."
"Chris, can you cover me while I do the same with my own OS?" Nisha asked over the com-line.
"Sure."
A barrage of missiles flew towards the Raven. The Raven leapt up, avoiding the missiles and transformed into its mobile armor mode. "The BuCUEs may rule on Earth, but the Raven rules the skies!" Chris shouted as the Raven's Ahura Mazda energy weapons activated.
The BuCUE was fast, the Raven was faster. The energy 'claws' across the BuCUE's back. A moment later, it exploded.
"I'm good now." Nisha replied as the Z.A.M. Gundam also stood up on the sand.
Though they had finally countered the BuCUEs, all three machines had used up a great deal of battery power and Chris had used up much of the Raven's railgun ammo. And there were fifteen BuCUEs and five copters left.
"Archangel, we need back-up! We don't have enough power to take out the remaining units!" Chris called over the radio.
"Wing Zero has launched on its own!" Miri exclaimed over the radio.
Sure enough, the new machine was overhead, its form similar to the Raven's mobile armor form, yet different as well.
"That was fast…"
"The new machine has launched!" DeCosta shouted as he saw the new radar contact.
"Get the 7th Fleet out there. I want to see what the new machine is capable of." Waltfeld ordered.
7th Fleet ships…
Araiya sat in her machine as the other pilots of the 7th Fleet prepared to head out. "All pilots, we are engaging the legged ship and its machines. There will be no holding back, under any circumstances. Tao, you will remain behind as your machine is not made for desert combat. Is that clear?" Commander White asked.
"Yes sir!" all the pilots exclaimed.
In a roar of engines, the Wing, the Zeus, the Silent Sniper, and the Feral Femme all launched from the three ships.
On her monitors, Araiya saw the form of the new mobile suit, now designated Omega One in her mind. "I see he doesn't waste any time…" she mused as Omega One flew down low, a green beam saber out. "I like you already."
"Akira, you and Josh will cover me and Heidi from the dunes while we go in for close combat." She ordered.
"Yes ma'am." The two boys said as they dropped in altitude and landed amongst the sand dunes. She and Heidi continued on a direct path towards Omega One in the exact same instance.
Araiya then saw the machine raise up its rifle into a firing position. The new mobile suit aimed and fired, a golden beam of immense power blazing right between her and Heidi with a few inches to spare. Both female pilots pulled back on their controls, barely missing the end of the beam.
"Heidi, you ok?" the purple-haired pilot asked.
"Thrusters are singed, but they are functional. That was not some mere low-power blast…" the other pilot replied.
"Agreed. It was way too powerful to be of any conventional beam weaponry origin."
"Are you going to get him to close range?" Heidi asked.
Araiya smirked. "I wouldn't be out here if I couldn't." she replied.
For a pilot of Heero's caliber, fighting four machines was not a daunting position. But when it was against four highly skilled pilots, it would not be easy. If he were in a normal machine that is…and Wing Zero was far from the normal mobile suit. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in the Zero System.
By expanding the consciousness of the pilot, the Zero System fed the operator enormous amounts of data, which included any and every tactical and strategic possibilities for any given situation. Under the system though, anything and anyone was considered a target, which was why it was such a double edged sword. It was up to the pilot to give the system guidance, to nudge it towards a desired course of action in order to achieve his goals. It was essentially a balancing act between logic and emotion, with the pilot imposing a conscience on the ruthlessly efficient program. However, this required a degree of mental discipline that was practically inhuman, and anyone without it who tried to use the system could become a mass-murdering psychopath, a victim of sheer sensory overload. Only a very few people had achieved that degree of mastery over the system, to the point that they were granted a kind of short-term precognition, an ability to read an enemy's moves before they made them; future sight.
And he was among the very best of that elite group.
Opening his eyes, Heero swiftly blocked a blast from the grey machine that the Zero System had identified as a GINN thanks to hacking into the database of the ship he had been on earlier. The machine then pulled out a sword as it put away the rifle.
"Very skilled…but not skilled enough…" he muttered as he pulled out the green beam saber and ignited the blade. As the two clashed swords, Heero used Wing Zero's sheer power to push back the GINN before parrying an attack from the second GINN, which had arm-mounted knives out. Both of the shorter blades made contact with the green blade before an attempted swipe with a leg-mounted knife made Heero move back. Hitting the thrusters, Heero gained altitude, dodging incoming beam fire from the third GINN and a machine that looked like it could transform into a fighter craft of some kind. A volley of missiles was launched from the winged machine, only to be shot down by Wing Zero's shoulder Gatlings.
Whirling around, Heero then parried a blow from the first GINN, only to block a strike from the second GINN on his shield a second later. The other two machines circled around them, firing bursts from their rifles, but Heero managed to sidestep the speeding rounds and beams. Gaining some distance, he then fired several low-powered shots from the Twin Buster rifle, only for the shots to miss. The shots did force his opponents to take evasive moves, which gave him some breathing room.
Heero then charged the lead GINN, certain that it was the top pilot of this team. The machine parried skillfully, making Heero break off quickly in order to block an attack from the second GINN, which was made for close combat. Diving towards the dunes to avoid another beam and burst barrage from the other two units, he raised the Buster Rifle and fired another shot, gaining altitude and moving in with the beam saber once again.
"The proper timing and application of force is the true way to win a battle, Waltfeld. Even a pinprick can be fatal if aimed correctly."
Suddenly, a trio of shots rang out. Two copters and a railgun barrel of a BuCUE exploded. A gray GINN High Maneuver type, covered in a tan tarp, armed with a sniper rifle, was lying on a sand dune a fair distance away. The GINN rose to its feet, its crimson monoeye scanning across the battlefield.
"Amazing. To be able to hit three separate targets so quickly and from that far away. That's one amazing sniper." Martin DeCosta said.
"Yes. That's the best sniper I've seen since...Well, in quite a while." Waltfeld said to his subordinate.
Commander Wolfe was in awe of the enemy machine, Omega One. Never before had she seen anyone move so quickly, or with such precision and grace. Omega One's attacks, dodges, and blocks al seemed to flow together, with no hesitation on the pilot's part, and there was no second-guessing either.
She saw the machine whirl around, firing off a barrage of bullets that hit Josh's machine in the left side. Akira moved in with his beam saber to take some of the heat off of him as Araiya went to support him as Omega One once more blocked his blow and pushed him back.
"Josh, status!" Araiya shouted as she traded blows with the enemy machine.
"Sniper rifle destroyed, so I can't fire on the enemy from long range; right thrusters are down, so I can't stay airborne for long, and maneuverability is down by forty-eight percent." The white-haired boy replied.
"Withdraw then. I can't risk losing anyone of my teammates." The commander ordered as she dodged a burst of gatling fire herself. "If you try to keep fighting this guy in that shape, you'll die for sure."
"Yes, ma'am." Josh replied. He was upset about leaving his teammates to fight on without him, but he had no choice in this case. "I'm heading back to the Andrews for repairs. I should be able to make it solo, but the landing may be a bit rough for me to handle."
Relieved that Josh was going to make it back alright, Araiya quickly moved in to take out the enemy. As the blades met, she could not help but smile.
'I can't recall anyone, let alone one mobile suit, who forced one of our teammates to retreat, let alone fight us four-to-one on an even footing. Not even the 11th Fleet's best pilots could get us to this point.'
"Finally…" she mused as she blocked a strike from Omega One before the enemy machine parried a blow from Heidi. "Someone who can push me to my limit!"
"Damn it," said Heidi over Ariaya's radio as Omega One managed to cut her unit's left leg off. Things would have been worse had the commander not moved in to take the heat off the blonde girl.
"How much has your mobility been cut?" said Araiya as she traded blows with the enemy.
"Thirteen percent," said Heidi, "It's not too bad, but the uneven weight distribution and unequal thruster output on both sides is throwing my balance off."
"Get out of here then," Araiya ordered, "that small difference will mean your death in a fight like this!"
"Yes, ma'am." Heidi replied, clearly clenching her teeth at the thought of withdrawing from a battle.
As her comrade made her retreat, Araiya turned to Omega One and once again smiled as their blades met yet again.
'To be honest, as long as they're not dead I'm perfectly fine with them leaving the field.'
"Now I can fight you one-on-one!" she said, adrenaline surging through her.
The first rays of sunlight began peaking over the dunes as the two aces continued their spectacular clash.
But before they could collide once more, Araiya's machine let out a bleep, signaling low power.
"Damn…have to withdraw…" she muttered as she backed off from the enemy machine.
'But to think that such a pilot exists…I can't wait to meet you again…Omega One…'
Heero noted the movements of the other machines, which were heading towards a location with jeeps nearby.
"Interesting…if they have a trap waiting there, that could be a useful distraction…" he mused as he flew over to help out.
Suddenly, a band of rebel vehicles emerged from several sand dunes, firing missiles at the BuCUEs. Their weapons were inferior to the weapons of the BuCUEs. But they were major distraction to the mobile suits.
One jeep parked next to the Strike and fired a cable to the Strike's leg. "Pilot of the Earth Forces mobile suits, if you want to live, follow my instructions." a voice said over the comm. "We've set a trap at this location. Lure the BuCUEs there."
Seeing no other option, Kira, Nisha, and Chris headed for the location, with the rebel jeeps close behind. The location in question was near the GINN. The BuCUEs chased after the 'fleeing' forces. The Strike, the Z.A.M. Gundam, and the BuCUEs reached the spot. The Raven swooped down and grabbed the Strike with its claws and flew off. Wing Zero then flew down and grabbed the Z.A.M. Gundam before taking off as well.
And with that, the trap was sprung. A massive explosion consumed the BuCUEs in an instant.
"We're withdrawing." Andrew said. "We've achieved our immediate goal."
The warriors of Desert Dawn were now gathered in front of the Archangel, the Z.A.M. Gundam, Wing Zero, the Strike and the Raven. Kira, Nisha, Wing Zero's pilot, and Chris remained in their machines, just in case. The GINN's pilot had left his cockpit and was with the rest of his comrades.
"I would like to extend my gratitude to you for your help." Murrue said.
"I am Sahib Ashman. The leader of the Desert Dawn." Sahib said. "There is no need to thank us. Our reasons for fighting were not necessarily to save you. They happened to be our enemy as well."
"You guys against the Desert Tiger?" Mu said.
"I recognize your face. But I cannot say where."
"That's Mu La Flaga. The Hawk of Endymion." a man in a dark trenchcoat, with short black hair and gray eyes, said.
The man extended his hand to Mu. "Victor Cain. Formerly of ZAFT's 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet. Now a merc working for the Desert Dawn."
Mu shook the man's hand. "One of Alaric's guys, eh? I thought I recognized that type of GINN." Mu said.
"Aye. Until he was killed. Though I respect Miss Kessel, the Black Hawk is and always will be my true commander." Victor explained. "When he was killed, I took my GINN and left. Been fighting as a mercenary ever since."
"You strike me as well informed people. Do you know who we are?"
"You are the crew of the Archangel, the Earth Forces new warship. You came to Earth to escape Le Creuset's Team and the 7th Fleet. Those machines of yours are..."
"X-105 Strike, the X-117-A and X-305 Raven." the blond girl said. "But I don't know the last machine."
"So here we are. You know who we are and we know who you are…Though I am surprised that you are here. I assume that you landing here was an accident. So I'm curious to know what you plan to do next."
"Can we count on your complete cooperation?"
"If you're serious about talking, then you such lower your weapons."
"They should disarm as well."
"Very well." Murrue said. "Ensign Yamato, Ensign Itsuno, Ensign Dante, Mr. Yuy, come down here."
The three Coordinators exited their mobile suits and headed for the group while Heero took the time to lock down Wing Zero before he too exited his machine.
Kira took off his helmet first, surprising the Desert Dawn members that someone so young could be the pilot of such a powerful mobile suit. The girl suddenly took off, heading for Kira. "So it is you." the girl said, clearly angry. "What is someone like you doing in that thing?"
She tried to punch him, but Kira caught her fist. "Let go of me!" she shouted, trying to break free of his grip.
She broke free of his grip, hitting Kira in the process. "Whoa. Calm down." Chris said, approaching the two, taking off his helmet. "Hey, wait a minute. You're that tomboy we thought was a girl."
"You too!" the girl said, turning to him.
Her fist slammed into his jaw.
"Ow...Damn. You hit as hard as my sister." Chris said, rubbing his jaw. Nisha just sighed at the encounter.
The blue-eyed pilot beside him remained silent as he observed the encounter with cold, yet observant eyes.
Desert Dawn Main Base
A Few Hours Later
"This is our frontline base. Our homes are in the towns, if they haven't been burned to the ground. Tassil, Moula, and even as far as Banadiya. Our group is all volunteers, expect for Mr. Cain, who's a merc we found and hired." Sahib said, pouring a cup of coffee. "Coffee?"
Victor took a sip of coffee and immediately spat it out on the ground. "Okay...Who made this swill?" Victor said in annoyance. "If you can't make a decent cup of coffee, than don't even bother making it."
Victor immediately poured the pot of coffee on the ground and started making a fresh pot.
Sahib shook his head. "You'll have to forgive Mr. Cain. He's an excellent strategist and easily the best marksmen alive. But he has an eccentric love of coffee."
"Hey there's nothing with wanting a good cup of coffee in the morning."
"You average a dozen cups a day."
"Okay...There's nothing with wanting a good cup of coffee in the morning, afternoon and evening."
Sahib sighed and shook his again. He walked over to the table in the center of the command room.
"So what's her name?" Mu said, motioning to the blond girl.
"We call her the Goddess of Victory."
"And I call the Overemotional Goddess." Victor said.
The blond let out an annoyed growl and threw an empty coffee cup at him. In a single, rapid motion, he drew his handgun and shot the cup in midair. He twirled the gun on his finger and holstered it. "See." Victor said. "Overemotional."
The girl scowled and left the room.
"Impressive." Mu said.
"I told you, he's the best marksman alive." Sahib said.
"But what's her name?"
"Cagalli Yula." Victor said.
"While this area may be under the domination of ZAFT, but it's not like they have enough forces can control the entire desert. Yet only three days ago ZAFT conquered the Victoria Base. Since then, they've extended their control over the area."
"A shame about that." Victor said. "They ruin a rather nice contract I had with the Earth Forces."
"Oh?" Mu said.
"Yeah. I was supposed to report to the Victoria Base. They were gonna send me to the 8th Fleet. I would have been there when they linked up with you guys. Probably would have assigned me to the Archangel. But they attacked before I could get there. Had they waited a day, I would have made it. But ZAFT had other plans and I ended up joining these folks."
"The African community of this area has traditionally sided with the PLANTs. The lower region, the South African Union resisted as best they could. But in the end, half the Earth Forces still abandoned them anyway." Sahib said with a sigh. "Every day, the frontlines are being pushed back, farther and farther."
"But that hasn't stopped you guys, now has it?" Mu said.
Sahib took a long hard stare at him. "As we see, ZAFT and the Earth Forces are no different. They both come to gain control and take away what is ours."
"But what about NASA? Haven't they been able to help you out?" Mu asked.
Sahib sighed. "Even if NASA were to help us out, there is no way that we could trust them. ZAFT and Earth Forces propaganda claims NASA just wants to conquer the lands they supposedly 'liberate'."
Mu frowned but did not say anything else.
"How well does that ship of yours fare in Earth atmosphere?" Victor asked, pouring a cup of coffee. "Anyone else want some coffee?"
Murrue and Natarle both declined. Mu took a cup.
"It can't fly at high altitudes." Natarle replied.
"If it can't fly over a mountain range, then your option is to try to break through the Gibraltar Base."
"Which is suicide with your battle strength." Victor said, sipping coffee. "But there is another path. But it's potentially as dangerous as Gibraltar."
"What would that be?" Murrue asked.
"You could take the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and then to the Pacific. But there are two obstacles in your path."
"That would be?"
"The Desert Tiger and the 7th Fleet."
The Archangel's Hanger
Later That Night
'I have to get stronger. If I don't, this ship is finished.' Kira thought as he furiously typed away in the Strike's cockpit.
"I've seen that look before. You're thinking that you're the only one who can protect this ship and everyone on board."
Kira glanced around the monitor. Standing there was that mercenary. "Hi there. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Victor Cain. Coffee?"
"Ah...Sure. I'm Kira Yamato."
Victor handed him a mug and two silently drank for a minute. "You know it will only get worse." Victor said.
"What?"
"If you spend all your time working on this thing and fighting, you're only burn yourself out." Victor said. "When that happens, all that with remain of you is a burnt out shell. And then you'll be useless to anyone."
"But I-"
"But you're the only one that can protect the ship. Stop being so arrogant kid. Everybody on board this ship is fighting to protect it. Not just you." Victor said. "No true defense can rest on the shoulder of one man."
"Now I'm not saying that spending some extra time on the Strike is wrong. But sending every waking moment in this cockpit will destroy you and likely get yourself killed. Take that other pilot, Chris. I noticed him spending a fair amount of time with that red headed girl, teaching her martial arts. And right now, he's having dinner with the rest of you kids. And the third pilot, Nisha? I saw him with Chris's sister. Mr. Yuy, however, well…I'm not too sure about him." Victor said. "Go, have some dinner with them. Don't make me pull you out of there and lock down the Strike."
Seeing as he had no other choice, Kira got out of the cockpit and headed outside. As soon as he was out of the hanger, Victor got into the cockpit of the Strike
"Let's see just how good this machine is." he said, pulling out the computer monitor.
Outside Tassil
"The whole town is asleep sir." DeCosta said.
"There are some who would put them to sleep permanently. There are those who like that approach. Not me. We'll give them a warning first then attack fifteen minutes later." Commander Waltfeld said. "Well, go on. Warn them."
"Sir." Martin said, getting into another jeep.
The jeep sped off for the town.
Eighteen Minutes Later
The kids from Heliopolis were all gathered around one of the many campfires in the rebel base, eating and taking amongst themselves.
"Things were certainly taken a strange turn." Sai said. "Who would have thought that we would end up in a rebel camp of all places."
"It's better than being alone the desert with only ZAFT Forces for company." Liz said.
"True. But it's still pretty strange."
"Well, strange things happen. It reminds me of the story of grandfather's dogtags." Chris said, pulling out said dogtags from underneath his collar. "My grandfather was-"
"The sky! It's burning!" someone shouted.
"It's coming from Tassil!" another shouted.
Heero looked up at the cry, his blue eyes narrowing at the sight. "So…someone is burning the town…" he noted as he ran over to the burning village.
"Whether from a far or up close, they shall never see me coming until it is too late." Victor Cain
Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Talos'
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters
Armament: 1x JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle with MA-M3 heavy sword bayonet, 2x beam saber (concealed in shoulders), 1x 76mm sniper rifle, additional weapons vary
Pilot: Victor Cain
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type
Color: Gray with dark gray trim
Info: A mysterious GINN with an equally mysterious pilot. All that is known is that he was a member of the ZAFT's 11th Fleet until the death of the Black Hawk, John Alaric. Since then, he's been working as a mercenary, fighting for anyone willing to pay him.
A/N: Victor is used with Akatsuki_Leader13's permission.
The newcomer is revealed, and yes, it is Heero Yuy. I wanted him to be thrown in to mix things up. So, here he is. I do plan to have him paired up with someone, but only in SEED Destiny: Divisions, not now. Anyway, flames will be deleted and/or reported depending on if someone signed in or not. Constructive criticism is appreciated as well. Please read and review once done reading! ^^
