Phase Sixteen: Turning Point
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: Glad you liked it! :D Yes, they could be, I do not know for sure. :P And as for the song, I could. :)
Titanic X: Glad it does. :)
A0930: Thanks for understanding. :3. And as for the duo battle, they will at some point, just not sure when...^^' Glad you liked the emotional tension too. As for the NASA PLANT character, yes, she is new. I never named her in this arc. Second arc will reveal the name. :) Tao does not follow the path of Zane, so that is assured. And yes, he was a spy. ;3. As for Marie, if you love what she did here, you will LOVE what she does to Yuna in the next arc. XD And as for the character focus thing, I am trying my best to focus on all characters. But it is not easy. ^^' And yes, Kira's return to Earth remains the same. :3
Ken Wise: Well, what I can say? Azrael was an $$. XD
Note to all readers: I am going to ask those who have an account to sign in to leave a review in order to know who is leaving it, or at least to put their account name on the review so I know who is sending it. If you want to sign in to leave a review, then feel free to do so. But if not, then at least put your account name at the top so I can see who you are. If you do not have an account, the feel free to leave a review anyway. Just no outright hatred of the story please.
Anyway, 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…
Morgenroete
An Hour Later
"You wanted to see me, Johanna?" Erica asked as she entered the room.
"Yes. You have to see this." Johanna said, motioning to her computer.
"Oh. What did Mr. Alaric come up with?"
"Some improvements for the Strike and the Raven, but that's not the only thing. He's come up with blueprints for new Striker Packs."
"What?" Erica said, staring at the screen. "Sniper Aile Striker. Raven Striker. Heavy-Arms Striker. Deep Striker. Amazing...He certainly knows his way around a mobile suit. But then, could we expect anything less from the Black Hawk of ZAFT?"
"They're little rough and will need to be hammered out an expert before we can begin constructing prototypes. But other than that, we can build these Packs."
"Yes. But the Archangel will be gone before we'd be able to finish any of these." Erica said.
"True. But we can use these for blueprints to create specialized Astrays and we certainly can use the Packs." Johanna said.
"If they approve it."
"We should be able to get the prototype approved for production." Johanna said. "The Seirans and their supporters wouldn't like it. Who cares about those arrogant fools?"
"Well, on our end, Heero was able to obtain a NASA-developed OS, and when we compared the OS to the one that the Earth Alliance developed, there were some disturbing things that were discovered. The sensitivity to the controls was turned way down, the strength requirements were too high, and the timing relays were off, just to name a few really." Erica said as she looked at the Striker pack blueprints.
"What?!" Johanna was shocked.
"Yeah…and that worries me. If the Earth Alliance has such an OS developed, who knows what they were planning."
The Archangel
A Few Hours Later
Chris whistled as he walked through the Archangel's corridors. They had taken a break for lunch. Liz and the others had left to visit their parents. Or in Liz's case, their grandfather.
Chris walked past an opened door when spotted something in the corner of his eye. He stopped and glanced in the open room. Flay was sitting on her bunk, just staring into space.
"Flay? What are you still doing here? Why aren't you with the others?" Chris said, entering the room. "I though your parents had a house in Orb."
"Yes. There is a house. But no one's living there now." Flay said in a depressed tone. "My mother died when I was little."
"Oh..." Chris said, scratching the back of his head.
He wasn't really sure what to say. It was kind of an awkward situation. Then he thought of something. "Tonight, my grandfather's taking my sister and me out for dinner since I'm busy today, working with Kira and Morgenroete, to properly visit with him. Why don't you come with us?"
"No. That's alright. I don't want to be a third wheel." Flay replied.
"You won't be." Chris said. "Come on, Flay. Get off the ship for a while and take a break from everything."
"Alright. I'll go with you."
"Besides, Nisha is coming as well. So it should be interesting."
Flay giggled at that.
The Bridge
"Under the present circumstances, our chief concern would be Panama. Carpentaria is buzzing with activity and there are rumors of an upcoming, massive ZAFT operation." Kisaka said, clad in an ORB Military uniform.
"How reliable is this information?" Natarle asked.
"I'm not sure." Kisaka said. "ORB is in a difficult position. We want intelligence but we don't want to stir up a hornet's nest either…or get NASA involved. That's the last thing we want."
"But it would make sense, if there's major activity in Carpentaria, then there's four places they'd attack with a large force from there, Kaohsiung, Panama, JOSH-A and ORB. Kaohsiung is already under their control and they don't have a good enough reason to attack ORB. That leaves Panama and JOSH-A. Logically, they'd want to take Panama and cut off their forces in space and on the Moon." John said. "Personally, I'd go for the Earth Forces' heart, JOSH-A, and cripple their central command. But ZAFT would have to gather a massive number of forces for such an assault, leaving many of their holdings on Earth vulnerable in the process, especially if it turns into a long siege. Most of ZAFT's Admiralty wouldn't dare to risk that much for such an operation. And NASA holds the base, giving the Earth Forces a defense that ZAFT would not dare to invoke. They'll attack Panama and take the Mass Driver, signaling the end of the Earth Forces in space. Of course, if Panama falls, it will cause major problems for ORB as well."
"How so?" Murrue asked.
"Think about it. Three of the Mass Drivers under ZAFT control. The only remaining two are under ORB's control and NASA's control. The Earth Forces would see ORB's as the easiest of the five Mass Drivers to take." John said. "They'll force ORB to give them control of the Mass Driver, one way or another."
"What about NASA's?" Taikyu asked.
Mu sighed. "The Earth Forces would not dare to take that one, because NASA is currently in a position of power that they cannot handle. Basically, NASA has the most powerful nation ever to have come about in their midst. And the Earth Alliance would not dare risk attacking them because of that power."
"Regardless of their plans, this will work in your advantage. Most of the ZAFT forces in the area are at Carpentaria at the moment, leaving your path to Alaska relativity clear." Kisaka said.
"What about the team that was pursing us?" Murrue asked.
"We haven't detected any ZAFT ships in the area. They've likely either given up or have been called back." Kisaka said. "There was a lot of talking on the diplomatic side."
"Still. We should be prepared for anything once we leave ORB waters." John said. "I doubt we'll have a clear shot at JOSH-A. I recommend that when we leave ORB waters, we go to Alert Level Two until about six hours after we leave. If they're waiting for us, they'll attack in the first couple of hours."
Morgenroete
A Few Hours Later
Chris typed away at the Raven's console, giving the Raven's operating system a thorough check. They had managed to finish creating the OS for Naturals a short while ago, thanks to Heero's help in obtaining a NASA-developed OS. It still needed a few tweaks before it'd be ready for use in combat. But Erica Simmons had told them that they'd perfect the OS over the next couple of days as they put the system through its paces.
So they were now aiding the crews from the Archangel in bringing their mobile suits back up to a hundred percent.
"Hey kid!" Murdoch called out. "We just finished reassembling the railgun. You're gonna need to check the targeting alignment to make sure everything's in sync. And we're gonna replace the Raven's faceplate now!"
"Leave it!" Chris shouted back.
"What? Why?"
"Cause it gives him some personality!"
"What? But-"
"I know it weakens the head's phase shift! I don't care! Leave it!"
"Whatever." Murdoch grumbled. "Alright guys, you heard him, we're not replacing the faceplate!"
Chris shook his head. There was no reason to replace the faceplate. True, it was weakness, but it added character to the Raven. And he didn't see any reason to replace it.
Though there was something bugging him. It wasn't with the Raven, but rather Kira. He had heard that he had rejected the offer to visit his parents. He found it stupid. Who knows when the next time Kira would be able to see his parents? So why not take this moment to see them and relax for a while? It just didn't make sense. But he was going to find out why.
Chris climbed out of the Raven's cockpit. He walked over to the Strike. He stuck his head into the cockpit of the Strike. Kira was typing away with Birdie perched on his shoulder. "Hey Kira, heard you've decided to not see your parents while you're here. How come?"
Kira didn't answer him.
"Well?"
"If I met them now, all they'd see was a soldier." Kira replied, not taking his eyes from the screen.
Chris rolled his eyes. "C'mon Kira. Do honestly believe that they'd see you as anything other than their son?" he said. "Take tonight off and go see them."
"Day in and day out, this is all I do." Kira said, typing away at the Strike's console, his tone tired and weary. "I fight battles in mobile suits and then help out with their development and maintenance. Why? Because I can."
'Okay...This is starting to creep me out. I think he's been spending a little bit too much time in the Strike's cockpit. He really needs to take some time off and get some air.'
"As soon as we leave ORB, I'll be going into battle against ZAFT again."
"Yeah. But so will the rest of us." Chris said. "It's not like you're the only one out there. But what's really bugging you Kira?"
Kira paused for a moment before answering. "I'm afraid that if I see my parents, I'd ask them why?"
"Why what?"
"Why the hell did they make me a Coordinator?"
"What the hell kind of excuse is that?" Chris said. "You think that you're the only person that's doubted themselves? Do you think that you're the only person that hates going into battle? Blaming it on being a Coordinator and your parents for making you a Coordinator is just disgusting. Besides, if you were a Natural, chances are you would have died at Heliopolis."
The two were silent for a moment.
"You know something, Kira. I actually envy you. Despite what you think about yourself and whatever you think about me, I envy you."
Kira looked up at him. "What? Why?"
"Because you can visit your parents." Chris said, stepping away from the cockpit. "You might want to remember that."
Suddenly, Birdie flew off Kira's shoulder, leaving the hanger. Kira climbed out of the cockpit and followed his mechanical pet.
Outside of Morgenroete
Members of the Zala Team had gathered outside of Morgenroete. They had spent the entire day searching for some of the legged ship. But their search had been fruitless.
"Security's tighter here than at the naval base." Yzak said.
"What do you expect?" Zane said. "Morgenroete is the heart of ORB's military power. They would protect it more than military base under their control."
Yzak nodded his head. He turned to Saul. "Saul, any luck on hacking into their system?"
Saul shrugged. "It's multi-layered. I can crack it. It'll just take time and the proper equipment."
"It might be easier to capture someone and use them to infiltrate the facility." Athrun said.
"Like a wolf in sheep's clothing." Nicol said.
"I don't know. That sounds a lot more dangerous and difficult." Saul said. "It may be-"
"Birdie." a voice chirped, interrupting him.
A small, green mechanical bird was flying towards the group. Athrun knew that bird. He had built it with his own hands. He extended his hand, letting Birdie land on his hand.
"What is it?" Yzak asked.
"A robotic bird." Nicol said, just as surprised as the rest.
"Amazing. That someone could make a small robotic bird that's capable of flight like that." Saul said.
"Birdie! Birdie!" another voice called out.
A brown haired boy, about the same age as them, clad in a Morgenroete uniform, wandered towards where they were standing. Beside him was another boy about their age, with brown hair as well, wearing a green sleeveless shirt with blue shorts and black shoes on.
"That bird must belong to him." Nicol commented.
"Guess so." Saul said.
The boy spotted them and approached the fence. Athrun, in turn, approached the boys and the fence.
"Is this yours?" Athrun asked.
Of course, he already knew the answer. Just as he knew who these boys before him were.
"Yes. Thank you." The first boy replied, extending his hand to the fence.
The bird jumped from Athrun's hand to the boy's. The two stared at each other for a moment. "Come on, let's go!" Yzak called out as he and the others got into their car.
Athrun turned and started to walk to the car. "It was a gift from an old friend." The one boy called out.
Athrun stopped and glanced back. "It's a very valuable gift from a valuable friend." the boy added.
Athrun was sure what to say. He stood there for a moment. He then turned away. "I see." was all that Athrun could manage to say before returning to the car.
He just couldn't face Kira, knowing once the legged ship left ORB, they'd be enemies again.
Later That Night
"I remember his first karate lesson." Samuel said. "He was so nervous that first time that when someone delivered that first little tap to the head, he started bawling like a little baby."
Flay, Liz, Nisha, and Samuel all started laughing. "Ha ha ha." an annoyed Chris said. "Just to let you know, I was five when that happened."
"Still it was quite funny." Samuel said. "In fact, I believe I still have the recording of that, if Miss Allster would like to see it."
"Oh no." Chris said. "You're not showing her that."
"Come on, why shouldn't your girlfriend see it?"
"Cause she doesn't need to see it or hear any of the other embarrassing moments of my life."
Samuel chuckled. "Alright. Alright. I'll stop." he said.
"I would like to see that." Nisha remarked as he looked to Mr. Dante.
"No, Nisha. If he does not want that revealed, then we should respect his decision."
Nisha just looked down with a pouty look on his face.
"You know, I find this quite nostalgic. This restaurant has been around for since I was your age. I had my first date with your grandmother here and I would later propose to her here. Your father took your mother here on their first date. As did your uncle and your aunt. And now you've brought your first date here. Who, if the tradition continues, will one day become your wife."
He then looked to Nisha and Liz. "That goes for you two as well."
The four teens' faces immediately reddened. "This isn't really a date with you, Nisha, and Elizabeth here."
The old man chuckled. "All things considering, that's not bad. I got your grandmother to go out with me after she almost ran me over with a car."
"What? You're kidding." Liz said.
"Nope. She didn't want anything to do with me until she almost hit me with her car. She went out with me once as a pity date and to her surprise, she actually had a good time and then we went out again. And the rest is history."
Samuel let out a sigh, lost in his memories. "Cherish these moments." he said. "Cherish them. Because you never know what tomorrow brings. And you'll never know when all you have left of a person is memories of them."
"Ah well, enough of the past." he said. "So tell me, Miss Allster, why don't you tell me about yourself."
Residence of the Attha Family
A Few Days Later
Cagalli finished packing the last of her stuff as the door to her bedroom opened. "Cagalli." her father said as he entered. "Do you intend to go along with that ship?"
"I do." Cagalli answered.
"I see. So you are going to fight the PLANTs as an Earth Alliance soldier. Are you really that eager to go to war?"
"No! Of course not!" Cagalli said. "It's not like I want to fight!"
"Very well then, why?" Uzumi asked.
"I want to help them out! And I want to do whatever I can to end this damn war!"
"You think fighting will end this war?"
"No. But-"
"If you were to kill someone's husband in battle, then his wife will despise you for that. And if you kill someone's son, their mother will hate you as well." her father said. "Because if someone were to take your life, I would hate them with all my heart. Don't you see how war can be a vicious circle?"
"I know that! I can't stay in this country and do nothing!"
"That kind of cheap and arrogant heroism will accomplish nothing!" Uzumi said, placing his hands on her shoulder. "Carrying a gun is not only way to fight a war. You must learn the causes of war, Cagalli. Attacking each other won't solve anything."
ZAFT Gibraltar base…
Tao looked over her bandaged head, which now was recovering from her injury. The personnel at the base had claimed that she was a victim of the 'suicide attack' pulled by her father, so she was not blamed for what happened.
She sighed, her father's death still fresh in her mind. Her father, the commander of the 7th Fleet was dead… Looking back at the mirror, she could only wonder if she was cut out for commanding such a famous fleet. Being in her father's shadow, there were already high expectations set for her to meet. And she was unsure if she would even be able to meet them at all.
Still, she had to try. Commander White would have wanted no less, she knew. Tao left her room, the door closing behind her. Several crew members of the fleet wanted to attack the Earth Forces for claiming the life of their commander, but Tao had denied them the chance, telling them that until more was learned about the bomb attack, they could not do anything other than return to combat.
Akira was waiting for her as she walked by him. Moving into step with her, the red-coat walked alongside her. "I'm…sorry for what happened…" he murmured. "I know what it is like to lose someone that is close to you."
Tao just looked at him with her good eye. "You do?"
"Yeah. You already know I lost my sister, right?"
A nod came from the white-coat beside him. "Yeah, who doesn't? The story made the headlines in the PLANTs."
"Well, not all the details were told. My sister was more than just killed. They proceeded to violate her, and maim her while she was still alive. The people responsible cut off part of her chest while she was still breathing and they performed…'humiliating' acts on her at the same time. I can only imagine the torture that she must have gone through…" Akira murmured as he gripped the pendant tightly.
His superior officer stared at him as he continued. "That is why I joined ZAFT, to get revenge on her attackers. But…after seeing what ZAFT has been doing lately…I am beginning to question whether it was the right thing to do."
Tao knew what he was talking about. "Oh yeah…the attacks on civilians and other innocents for no reason…"
Both were silent for a few moments before Tao spoke up. "Hey…Akira?" The red-coat looked to her. "Thanks for that…well…you know…offering me an ear if I needed it."
"I…no…thank you for listening to me. I was the one in need of having someone listen to me." Aki' replied.
Tao just smiled before walking to the bridge.
Undisclosed location…
People ran back and forth trying to get the machines inside operational. That was easier said than done though, as the machines were even more advanced than the G-Weapons in use by the two opposing sides.
Considering what they had done during that time, that, when taken into account, was an achievement in itself. Repairs had taken longer than anticipated, but when coupled with the data found in the small robot, they had progressed even smoother than originally projected. Within a few days, the machines would be ready.
Except for the third one, which still needed a lot of work done on it. The project director glanced over the plans before looking up at the two machines that were now in the completion stages. Mechanics welded parts of armor back on, or slipped parts into place based on the color coding that indicated where said part went.
Soon, it would be now or never…
Aprilius One…
Lacus Clyne looked out at the Earth below the PLANT capital, the lights on the dark side of the planet twinkling like tiny stars that were planet-bound. It only served to remind her that Naturals were human too. Innocent people, men, women, and children, were living their lives like any normal Coordinator would. Even if they were Naturals, they were still people, right?
She sighed as she looked away and walked into her home. Guards closed the doors to her house, her safe haven from her tormented life as a pop-idol. The pink-haired songstress sat down in her room on her bed, turning on the T.V. that was mounted on her wall. News came on, mainly about the coming PLANT elections, but also news about the war on Earth. And, like anything else in PLANT, the ZAFT news was regarding Naturals as nothing more than primitive cavemen.
Turning to turn off the news, something caught her eye. Looking back, Lacus was just in time to see the White House of NASA's leadership appear on the screen. On the screen in front of the mansion was a Natural woman, but everything seemed to be focused on her. Several PLANT reporters were there as well.
"To the people of New Juneau, I address the concerns about the Earth Alliance that you have. Rest assured, they will not try attacking you, as New Juneau is a U.S. State. If they try it, then they attack us as well. Even if New Juneau is a PLANT, the status of Statehood will protect the colony."
Lacus stared at the Natural speaking to the crowd in front of her. A reporter thrust a mike forward to the woman. "Is it true that the PLANTs treat Naturals as nothing more than cavemen?"
"No, it is not. While they may regard Naturals as such, the fact remains that Naturals are just as human as Coordinators are superpeople. In other-words, Naturals and Coordinators are both human beings." The female Natural explained.
Another reporter spoke up. "What about the Coordinators? Is it true that they are supermen, able to defy the laws of physics?"
The NASA leader just grunted once. "As if. Coordinators have genes optimized for maximum growth and capacity, not the ability to lift cars with one hand. That stuff is just propaganda spread by the Earth Alliance to get you all to believe that Coordinators are a 'superrace', not the human beings that they actually are."
Sitting on her bed, Lacus looked at the woman on the screen. The female leader had about her an air that seemed different than what she had been told by the radical faction. President Hilson was an individual that went against what the radical faction was saying. She did not hate Coordinators or want them exterminated. That much Lacus knew from her father. But hearing it in person was a whole different matter.
The president's stance was revealed to be true, which was a complication in the matter of the war with ZAFT. Both were considered equal in NASA, so that was to be a problem in the future if the war continued that long…
NASA capital…
President Hilson looked out at the stars that now sat above the White House. Her little speech had gotten the people before her riled up, both Natural and Coordinator. And yet that did little to ease her nerves.
'Damn it…why do people in the Earth Alliance have to claim that Coordinators are capable of defying the laws of conventional physics? Don't those nutjobs realize that what they are saying is just impossible?'
Deep down, she knew that as long as the Blue Cosmos members existed, the hatred would continue…at least until it all came to an end somehow…but as to how, she did not know…
ORB…
Lord Uzumi glanced over at where his daughter was sleeping. The door was shut, but he knew that if he entered she would attack him with anything she could get her hands on. The butler next to the ORB leader looked to his employer.
"You do realize that soon ORB will be attacked." The butler said. Lord Uzumi nodded in agreement.
"I am fully aware of that, Hali…"
Hali Amazda was Lord Uzumi's former superior officer from his days in the ORB armed forces, and the representative's best friend before he gained the post. Now in his seventies, Hali was retired from the army, but was now in the employment of his friend, not just as his butler, but as an unofficial adviser as well.
"But if ORB is attacked, how will Cagalli take it? Her situation, I mean." Hali asked.
Lord Uzumi did not answer right away. "I just hope it does not come to that…"
Hali frowned, but remained silent. If it came down to it, he would do as the council asked…if it ever did that is…
Hidden Morgenroete Dock
A Short While Later
Kira, Chris, John, Mu, Nisha, Heero, Elizabeth and Tolle were all waiting around the hanger for the Archangel to launch. Tolle had just recently been given approval to pilot the third Sky Grasper by the Captain and Lieutenant Badgiruel.
"Ensign Yamato, please report to the upper deck."
"Huh?" Kira said. "Why do they want me to go to the upper deck?"
Chris shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe Cagalli wants to say goodbye to you."
"Whatever the reason may be, you should go see what they want." John said.
A few minutes later, Kira climbed the ladder to the upper deck. "Kira!" Cagalli shouted, running to the Archangel.
"Cagalli? What are you doing here?"
"You're parents are here! They're right up there!" Cagalli shouted back, pointing at the windows overlooking the hanger.
Kira looked up at the windows. His parents were there. His father was waving while his mother was saying something. But Kira couldn't hear it. A few minutes later, an out of breath Cagalli climbed up the ladder to the upper deck. "Why...Why won't you see them? Say something Kira." she said.
"Look. Could you tell them sorry but not now." he said. "For me. I don't think...right now..."
Kira turned away. "Okay." Cagalli said.
"Take care of yourself Cagalli and thanks for everything." Kira said, walking towards the hatch.
Suddenly, Cagalli grabbed him and hugged him. "Listen...Don't get killed." Cagalli said.
"Don't you worry. Nothing is going to happen to me.
A few minutes later, the dock door opened and the Archangel left, heading for their waiting escorts. The ORB fleet surrounded the Archangel, which left Onogoro. Once it reached the edge of ORB waters, the ORB fleet stopped while the Archangel continued on, taking off into the air.
Aboard the Cousteau
Outside ORB Waters
Athrun and his teammates waited inside their mobile suits. They had detected an ORB fleet leaving Onogoro. The ships were too close together for them to determine if the legged ship was with them or not. But Athrun wasn't taking any chances. He knew Kira was at Onogoro and it would only be a matter of time before the legged ship left ORB.
"A ship is separating from the fleet. Identifying...It's the legged ship!"
Dearka whistled. "Wow." Saul said. "Guess Athrun was right after all"
"We're taking off." Athrun said. That ship is going down today."
The Aegis, the Duel and the Blitz launched, followed by Guuls. Then the GINN, the Surge and the Buster launched as well as their Guuls. The six headed towards the Archangel.
"This is the Farsight. I'm in position." John said, atop the Archangel.
The Strike, armed with the Launcher Striker, walked to the end of one of the catapults. Kira plugged the Agni cannon directly into the Archangel. "I'm in position as well."
"Z.A.M. Gundam is in position." Nisha said as he stood atop the ship as well. In a large splash, Wing Zero entered the water to attack from below.
"Deploy smokescreen." Natarle ordered.
Missiles fired from the Archangel as smoke poured from dispensers on the bridge tower of the Archangel. The missiles exploded, releasing more smoke. Soon the Archangel shrouded by smoke.
"Launch the Sky Graspers."
"Don't be nervous kid." Mu said. "All you need to do is stay overhead and spot for the Strike and the Farsight."
"Y..Yes." Tolle said, trying not to sound as nervous as he actually was.
"Oh, and Tolle." Liz said from Sky Grasper 2. "You'll want to brace yourselves before the catapult launches you."
"Mu La Flaga, Sky Grasper 1 launching." Mu said, launching his Sky Grasper, armed with the Aile Striker.
Sky Grasper 2, equipped with the Sword Striker, was loaded onto the catapult. "Liz Dante, Sky Grasper 2 launching."
The third Sky Grasper was loaded onto the catapult. "Tolle Koenig, Sky Grasper 3 launching."
The ZAFT mobile suits fired on the fighters but all three were able to avoid the incoming fire. "Alright kid, do your job and we'll keep them busy." Mu said.
"Right." Tolle said, pulling above the battlefield. "Strike, Farsight, this is Sky Grasper 3, I'm sending you the enemy coordinates now."
A moment later, sniper rounds and the Agni cannon's beam emerged from the smoke. "Scatter!" Athrun ordered.
The six mobile suits scattered, barely avoiding the barrage. Suddenly, the Raven, in its mobile armor mode, emerged from the smoke, its railgun and machineguns firing at the group. Athrun, Nicol, and Saul fired back as the others moved out of the Raven's path. The Raven tackled the Surge, knocking it off of its Guul as it transformed back and mounted the Guul. More shots rang out from the smokescreen of the Archangel, forcing the ZAFT team to pull apart even more as Sky Graspers 1 and 2 fired on the mobile suits as well.
The Z.A.M. Gundam fired on the Surge, which lost an arm in the attack before hitting the water.
"Saul!" Nicol shouted as he headed for the Raven.
Chris drew a beam saber as Nicol fired the Gliepnir anchor at him. Chris sliced the incoming anchor in two, destroying it. Nicol activated his own beam saber and charged the mobile suit. The two clashed, their swords meeting. They stood there for moment, sabers locked. Suddenly, the two mobile suits pushed back and before Nicol could react, Chris drew his left beam saber. And in one, quick, upward swing, sliced the Blitz's right arm off. Chris followed up with a swift kick to the Blitz's midsection, sending it to the waters below, right into Wing Zero's wrath.
"Yzak, Dearka, focus on the legged ship, Zane and I will take care of the Raven." Athrun ordered.
The Aegis and the GINN fired on the Raven as the Duel and the Buster headed for the legged ship. Dearka combined his gun launcher and beam cannon into the long range hyper-impulse rifle and fired. The beam struck the Archangel's hull.
"Mu, give the kid the Aile Strike." John said. "The time for firing behind a smokescreen is over."
Kira detached the Launcher Striker and got on top of the Archangel. "Alright kid. Here it comes." Mu said, his fighter approaching the Strike from behind. "Just don't drop my present."
The Aile Striker detached from the fighter and attached itself to the Strike. Then the beam rifle and shield followed. Once the Strike was reequipped, it took off.
"There you are Strike!" Yzak shouted as the Strike emerged from the smoke.
Yzak fired at the Strike as he rushed towards it. Kira blocked the beam with his shield and fired back. A beam pierced Yzak's Guul. But that didn't stop Yzak. He jumped off the Guul before it exploded, drawing his beam saber. Kira drew one of his own sabers. Yzak swung the saber down on the Strike. Kira swung his own sword. The beam sliced through the top of Yzak's saber, rendering it useless.
"What the..." Yzak said, stunned at the loss of his beam saber.
Before he could regroup, Kira threw his shield at him, sending Yzak falling to the ocean. The Strike started to lose altitude. Strike just didn't have the ability to keep itself in the air for long.
Below the waves, Wing Zero moved in on the Duel, its beam saber out as it reached the sinking mobile suit. The Blitz had managed to avoid getting spotted due to landing behind some rocks, so Nicol was safe for the moment. Yzak cried out as he saw the winged machine approaching rapidly. Heero showed no emotion as he moved in, ready for the kill.
"Hey Kira, need a ride?" Chris said as he flew towards the Strike, the Aegis and GINN firing as they chased him after. Nisha fired on the Aegis, forcing it back so Chris could save Kira.
The Raven leapt off the Guul it was riding and transformed, allowing Kira to mount it. "I got GINN. Kira, you get the Aegis." Chris said.
The Raven flew head on at the GINN but Chris didn't fire. "You want to play chicken, Chris? Well too bad!" Zane said, firing the Guul's missiles at the Raven.
The missiles hit the Raven, but its armor held. "Take this!" Zane shouted, squeezing the railgun's trigger.
The gun didn't fire. A warning light came on. Zane glanced at his console.
Primary weapon jammed.
"What? How can it be jammed?"
Zane looked back up. The Raven was almost on him. Zane swore as he pulled the Guul up, trying to avoid the Raven. The Raven suddenly spun on its back, its Ahura Mazda beams weapons activated. The twin beams sliced through the Guul.
"Damn. That was either stupid, lucky or just plain crazy." Chris said to himself as the red GINN and the remains of the Guul became victims of gravity. "Probably all three."
Elsewhere, Dearka fired on the Archangel. John emptied his sniper rifle's clip at the Buster. But Dearka managed to avoid them and fired on the Farsight. John jumped out the beam's path, replcing his empty clip with a full one. With a fresh clip in place, John fired at the Buster. Rounds tore through the Buster's Guul.
"Dammit!" Dearka cursed, trying to maintain his altitude.
"That's not going to help you." John said, taking aim.
Another shot rang out, piercing one of the Guul's engines. The Guul failed and Dearka join most of his team in the water.
The Aegis fired at the Strike, but Kira dodged the shot and fired, hitting Athrun's Guul. The Aegis jumped off the damaged Guul, sending it at the Strike's. Kira jumped off as the two Guuls collided. Suddenly, the Aegis fired at him. Kira dodged most of the beams, but one struck his rifle, destroying it. The Aegis then transformed into its mobile armor mode and fired its cannon. Kira dove down to the Archangel, avoiding Athrun's shots. A Gottfried fired at the Aegis as Kira landed on the Archangel. The beam narrowly missed the Aegis. Athrun transformed the Aegis and dove down, seeking to avoid any more fire from the Archangel's cannons, landing on a small rocky island.
"Liz. Give me the Sword Striker." Kira said.
"Okay." Liz said, bring her Sky Grasper into position.
A few moments later, the Strike equipped with the Sword Striker descended on the Aegis. Athrun barely avoided the sword but lost his beam rifle in the process. "Retreat already." Kira said. "This battle is over."
"Shut up!" Athrun shot back, swinging one of the Aegis's arm mounted beam sabers at the Strike.
Kira parried the swing. "Athrun stop! I don't want to fight you anymore!"
"It's too late! We're enemies now!" Athrun said, pressing his attack. "This won't end until one of us is destroyed!"
Kira blocked the descending arm and punched the Aegis's face. The red mobile suit fell onto its back. The Aegis's phase shift armor deactivated. The Strike raised its large sword over its head. "Athrun..." Kira said.
"ATHRUN!"
Suddenly, the Blitz, holding one of its lancer darts in its left hand, charged the Strike. Kira reacted on instinct, swing the sword into the waist of the mobile suit, just beneath the cockpit. Kira let go of the sword, leaving it embedded in the Blitz.
"Athrun...Run..." Nicol said just before the Blitz exploded.
"NICOL!" Athrun screamed.
At that same moment, Wing Zero and all of the other members of the Zala Team emerged from the waters around the island and instantly froze. The members of the Zala Team were stunned. The Blitz was gone. Nicol was gone. The kind-hearted, song writing, piano playing boy that never should have been in the war in the first place, was dead. Pieces of the Blitz littered the area, the largest being the Blitz's battered and smoking torso and head.
"Nicol..." Dearka whispered.
Yzak was at a loss for words. "No way...Impossible...He...Can't be..."
"Nicol!" Saul shouted, his eyes watering.
Suddenly, the Archangel's CIWS fired upon them. "Dammit." Saul cursed. "We have to retreat!"
"What?" Yzak shouted. "But they-"
"I KNOW!" Saul shouted, startling Yzak. "But we have no other choice! Athrun's out of power and we've lost the advantage! We have to escape while we can!"
"I agree." Zane added. "We'll only join him if we stay."
The Buster, Duel and GINN headed back to the waters where their sub was. The Surge grabbed the Aegis and withdrew as well. The Raven and the Farsight landed next to the Strike as Wing Zero landed next to the Z.A.M. Gundam on the Archangel. "Wow..." Chris said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I didn't think we'd ever be able to take even one of those guys down. Good job Kira."
"Shut up." Kira said.
"What?"
"Don't you get it?" Kira shouted. "I just killed someone!"
"Kira...I know that. But it's not like you went out of your way to kill him." Chris said. "It was self-defense. If you hadn't done it, it's likely that you would have been killed. It's not kill you killed him in cold-blood."
"War calls for killing, whether you like it or not." Heero muttered, his comment fitting the situation perfectly.
Suddenly, the Blitz's cockpit hatch opened, releasing more smoke. A figure crawled out of the smoking hatch and then collapsed on the Blitz's torso.
"Looks like you may have spoken too soon." John said. "Archangel. The Blitz's pilot survived. We're gonna need a medic here. ASAP!"
Archangel
The Blitz's pilot was brought to the medical bay as the other machines entered the hanger. Wing Zero made its way to another holding bay, which was the one that could house the Gundam. Heero opened up the cockpit as everyone else did the same thing.
Once on the ground, everyone was talking. "Man, I just can't believe how crazy that was. Finding the pilot of the Blitz alive was a stroke of luck I'd say." Chris said as he looked back at the doors leading into the ship.
"Hn."
"Say, Heero, we didn't ask where you are from. It's obvious that you are too skilled to be a normal Natural, and your experience with your machine surpasses even the most hardened war veteran we have on the ship." Nisha exclaimed.
Everyone looked to the other boy, who just gazed back at them. "What I am about to tell you, you can NEVER tell to anyone else, or I WILL kill you." He snarled before the group before him nodded.
"We won't tell, Heero. Especially those AEU officers if they even ask." Chris said. A nod from the group seemed to settle Heero's nerves, even if just a little bit.
"Very well then. You see, I am not from your era, or your universe. I am from the After Colony Era, or A.C. era." Heero began as everyone sat down or leaned against their machines. "I was fleeing to escape a forced marriage between me and the leader of the Sanq Kingdom, which is a nation in my universe. I made it as far as Jupiter before a strange rift in space opened up, and I could not escape it. When I woke up, I was in space as you guys were descending. The rest you already know."
"So, your machine is also from this A.C. universe as well?" Liz asked.
Heero nodded. "Yes, Wing Zero is also from my old universe. It is one of five such machines, called Gundams, which is a derivative of the name of the mineral used in the armor and structural construction: Gundanium."
"So is Gundanium stronger than even the Phase Shift armor we have?" Kira inquired.
"Yes, it is. It can deflect almost all beam shots, and take an enormous amount of punishment before giving out. And because it does not need power, that power can be used to power the weapons and other systems." Heero replied.
Chris spoke next. "So, what powers Wing Zero? I mean, with the way you fight, it can't be battery powered."
"You're right. It's not. Rather, Wing Zero has a nuclear fusion reactor at its core. That provides it with all the power ever needed to stay functional, which means it can operate for far longer than your machines can." Heero explained.
"Wait, nuclear fusion? Does that mean it is unaffected by the N-Jammers?" Nisha asked.
"N-Jammers?" Heero asked. It was now his turn to be confused. Nisha nodded. "Yeah, they block all nuclear fission, which makes current nuclear reactors useless."
"Then, yes, it would be unaffected by the N-Jammers." Heero replied.
John then spoke next. "So, your machine, does it have some kind of OS?"
"Yes, it has the ZERO System. The system is also an AI/battle prediction computer which feeds me all the possible outcomes and ways to alter those outcomes. It can allow me to plan out entire battles from start to finish if need be. But there is a downside to it as well. I have to keep my emotions in check, otherwise I will lose control over the system, which will force me to attack anyone the system deems a threat." Heero replied. "And if you tell ANYONE about the Zero System, I will be forced to kill you to keep it a secret."
John stared in shock, surprised at the fact that such a system was even possible. 'A powerful battle prediction system/AI…no wonder he is so reclusive…If such a system got into the hands of the radical faction or even the Earth Alliance, then everyone would be done for!'
"I want you all to make a promise." Heero said. Everyone looked at him in shock. "What I am about to ask you to do is a huge task, but from what I have seen, you can pull it off. It is also my way of thanking you for taking me in when I had nowhere to go. If anyone tries to get Wing Zero, or the ship while Wing Zero is on it, I want you to do whatever it takes to prevent the Zero System from being discovered."
There was silence for a few moments before Chris spoke up. "If you are willing to ask us to do such a thing, then we will. It is our way of repaying you for what you have done for us."
For a brief moment, a small smile appeared on Heero's face before fading. 'Very well."
With that said and done, things began to look up for the ship and its crew…
Heero has revealed where he is from and asked the crew of the Archangel to destroy Wing Zero should the circumstances ever arise. He is becoming more trusting, but also much more defensive of his machine as well.
Anyway, constructive criticism is appreciated, as are reviews. Flames, or hate-filled reviews, will be reported and/or deleted depending on if they are signed or not.
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