New chapter is up is up! Note: I do not own Chris, Liz, or Johanna Dante, Ian, Saul, or Diana Kessel, John Alaric, the 11th Fleet, Treize Zabiarov, Gyunei Ridden, Reccoa Schnieder, or the machines listed for the remaining members of the Le Creuset team, as they are Akatsuki_Leader13's and are used with his permission as such. I also do not own Xander Alexis, as he belongs to Mordalfus Grae. Nor do I own Matrin Nightengale, as he is Meteorthunder3's OC. I only own Tao White, Akira, Nishikama, Nisha and Taikyu Itsuno, Preisdent Marie Hilson, Gai Tatsuni, NASA/NAZAFT, the Presidential Murasame, the Raptor, the Dax, Wing, Traverse, and Z.A.M. Gundams, and the colony of New Juneau.
Wolf's child: Glad you like it. :3
Just a Crazy Man: Yes, it does.
Animefan0216: No, no upgrade to the Exia here. Sorry. ^^'
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Cosmic Era 72. One and half years of grim war between Earth and PLANTs ended following the space battle at Jachin Due. The two sides forged a peace treaty amid the ruins of Junius Seven. A place of unprecedented tragedy during the war. The former enemies pledged themselves to work for mutual understanding and to make every effort possible to maintain peace. As a result, the world once more on the path of stability.
Phase Six: The End of the World
The Minerva moved away from the explosive radiation zone. "Entering Phase 3 momentarily." Arthur said before turning to Talia. "If we wait any longer, we won't be able to avoid the radiation zone ma'am."
"But we still can't locate the Impulse and the other machines." Burt said. "They may still be in the line of fire."
"Athrun..." a concerned Cagalli whispered.
They couldn't wait any longer. Talia knew that. "Activate Descent Protocol." Talia ordered, causing Cagalli, Meyrin and several other members of the bridge crew to look at her. "Our mission is to prevent our ship from getting hit by the radiation waves. We are not equipped to handle such a high amount of radiation." she explained. "Begin Descent procedure."
The Minerva started to turn away from Junius Seven as the engines fired at full, the wings folding inward.
The first thrust fired, forcing the ship away from the radiation zone. The next one forced the Minerva into a more stable descent trajectory. All around them, small pieces of the colony that were barely larger than a mobile suit fell to Earth.
As the Minerva continued its descent, hundreds upon hundreds of fragments fell all around it. Almost all of of the smaller ones burned up before they reached Earth. But there were still numerous debris fragments falling to Earth.
The Marshal Islands
"Haro! Haro! We have a problem!" Haro squawked.
"What's coming?" one of the scared children asked.
"Are we going to have to be down here forever?" another added.
Lacus smiled for their sakes. They had brought the children down to the shelter underneath the church. It was deep enough underground that they would be protected from anything that hit on or near the island. "Everything will be just fine. We'll only be down here for a little while." she answered, trying to reassure them "All of this will be over very soon."
Chris gripped the seat he was in, wondering just how big those debris chunks were.
Suddenly, the shelter began to shake from the impacts of nearby debris. Many of the children began to whimper and cry. Lacus hugged the two children sitting next to her. "Everything's alright. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Lacus then opened her mouth and began to sing, hoping to calm the children with it.
Beneath the veil of starry sky
As cold as winter's darkest night
It's there you'll sleep, silent and deep
You're all alone
ORB
"Where's mommy?" a scared, red-headed child whispered. "Are the roks gonna to get her?"
"She's fine Alexander." Elizabeth Dante replied reassuringly to her nephew, who was sitting on her lap. "She's in space. The falling rocks can't reach her there."
The young child hugged her and buried his face into her shirt and cried as they felt and heard the first impacts. Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld sat next to them, in the shelter under the mansion. It had been predicted that ORB would receive limited damage from the meteorites of Junius Seven and the aftermath of the impacts. But it was better to be safe than sorry.
Liz looked up at the ceiling as she rubbed Alexander's back. It saddened her that former home and the grave of her parents and so many of her friends was falling to Earth and causing so much death and destruction.
She just hoped that Chris was safe in the Marshal Islands.
A single prayer's soft melody
Across the lonely silent fields
A little light begins to shine, it shines on and on
The PLANTs
"Damn... How bad do you think it's gonna be?" Saul Kessel asked, glancing over his shoulder as the TV reports came in.
Behind him, Nicol Amalfi sat at his piano. "Bad." the green-haired young man replied.
Without saying anything else, Nicol started to play a sad, mournful song on his piano as the fragments of Junius Seven collided with Earth.
I watched you as you so peacefully dreamed
You laughed like a child, happy and care free
It's so familiar and yet so far
That's the future is promised for you and me
Location Unknown
In the safety of his bunker, Djibril watched events play out, on the wall of screens before him. He sat in his chair, stroking the head of his cat. Behind him stood an aide. "Let this event usher in the beginning of a new world." she said, her transfixed on the screens.
Djibril smirked. "Yes. A new world... A world ruled by us."
One day on a green and shining morn
One day we will finally make through
Cause in this sky, so dark with winter
The Voltaire
Chairman Durandal, along with two FAITH operatives silently watched the devastation wrought the fragments of Junius Seven. "Have you taken care of things?" Durandal asked, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"Yes sir." one of the agents replied. "However, if someone is smart enough and determined enough, they could figure things out."
"True. But once the war begins, people will focus on that, not Junius Seven. And when the war is over, no one will care." Durandal said.
"Yes sir."
"Where there any problems at Armory One?"
The agent paused for moment before answering. "No sir. No problems."
We still have to believe that it's true
Fields of hope...
Washington D.C.
President Hilson watched the remaining pieces of Junius Seven fall to Earth from the Joint Operations Center beneath the White House, the pieces not being much bigger than a mobile suit.
Her eyes held a look that was one of grim determination and slight frustration as she gazed at the screens showing the surface getting pummeled by the debris.
The first ICBM had done the job, but it was not over yet. The second half was falling as well, hence the second launch. The flash of the second ICBM making contact lit up the sky above the surface. It was a done deal.
She knew that she would face criticism from many world leaders and from the PLANTs for destroying a war memorial, but given the situation, there had not been much of a choice anyway. They would just have to deal with it. It was either blow up Junius Seven's remains, or let countless lives be lost.
A gentle touch
A loving brush
Those things I still search for
New Juneau
People could only watch as the ICBMs did their job, unable to believe that it was really happening. The twin flashes lit up space as the colony halves were destroyed in one blow each.
"The PLANTs will hate us for sure…" a man murmured. His words were never truer than right then and there.
A prayer in
A melody
It goes on and on
Pentagon
John Keller watched as the pieces fell to Earth, the massive five-sided, five-ringed building sealed up with all the military personnel that could fit inside unable to get out. It was for their own protection though, even though some of the soldiers hated it.
I sing the prayer's
Soft melody
One vanishes, one dies
NASA missile silos
The missile silos were sealed off to prevent people who were not allowed onto their grounds from trying to get inside. The workers at the silos were locked inside, as the bunkers would protect them from the falling debris.
Still, they could see what was going on outside via screens and T.V. monitors, and it was not a pleasant sight to see.
And all in all
It starts again
A never ending cycle
The debris fell onto the plains, wiping out the crops that had been growing there as well as some of the wildlife.
In the mountains, craters were made by the impacts, sending snow tumbling down the sides of the mountains into the towns and cities below.
One day on a green and shining morn'
Through all the long nights we've been fighting for
There lies a place
Far from disgrace
Where we won't have to hide from the world again
Joint Operations Room
The president could hardly believe what was going on as the reports began to come in. At least a hundred million lives were no doubt lost, but compared to the near billion lives that would have been lost, it was a small amount.
Not acting would have cost countless more lives, so she did not regret her decision, not even one bit.
Now there lies a deep love within my heart
A yearn to protect you and keep you warm
It's all familiar and yet so far,
It's made for the peace of mind
Fields of hope
The planet was impacted again and again, but not by huge fragments of the destroyed colony. Rather, they were small in comparison to what they could have been. And it was all thanks to NASA…
Natsukashiku mada tooi
Yakusoku no nohara
Fields of hope
Fields of hope
Fields of hope…
Fields of…hope…
For just over an hour, pieces of Junius Seven rained down upon Earth. Towns were devastated by fragments. Any fragment that hit land, also threw up clouds of dust into the air. The fragments that hit water sent tidal waves crashing onto nearby coasts, destroying homes and buildings that were on the water.
But compared to how big those could have been, they were small. And that was the only good thing that had happened.
Minerva
"Captain, we can switch to aerodynamic control now." Arthur said.
Talia nodded. "Unfold the wings." she ordered. "Take it easy, Helm."
"Unfolding wings. Switching to atmospheric flight." the helmsman said.
"How are communications and sensors?" Talia asked.
"Offline ma'am. The fragments are interfering with the radio waves." Meyrin reported.
"Try using laser and thermal sensors. We have to find the Impulse and the other machines."
"Do you think they made it down safely?" Arthur asked.
"After the missile impacts, I have no idea." Talia admitted. "But I hope so."
A burnt and badly damaged ZAKU Warrior fell through the sky. "I guess you can't go through reentry without a booster." Athrun said as he tried to keep the ZAKU in the air for as long as possible. He had fought off that guy, and now he was going to die anyway…
"Athrun! Athrun!" a voice called out on the radio.
"Shinn, is that you?"
"Yeah! It's me." Shinn replied. "Hang on, I'm on my way."
"No, don't! Even the Impulse doesn't have enough thrust to stop two machines from falling." Athrun warned.
"Who ever said he was alone?" another voice said as the ZAKU suddenly shuddered.
The Impulse and the Farsight had grabbed onto the ZAKU, slowing its descent. "Why do you always have to be so noble and say stuff like that?" an annoyed Shinn asked.
"I don't know. I find that being too noble is better than being someone like you with no nobility at all." John commented.
"Hey! I'm-"
"Have either of you seen Flay and Heero?" Athrun asked, interrupting the two.
"I'm right here." Flay said, bring the Strike Raven alongside the three mobile suits.
"You really made a rash decision." Heero noted as he too came alongside the four machines.
"Now let's just hope we find the Minerva, or failing that, land." John said. "Otherwise, we could be in for some serious trouble."
At that very moment, a flare flew up ahead of them. The Minerva was ahead of them.
The Minerva's Hanger
A Short While Later
Cagalli ran through the hanger, heading for the damaged ZAKU as Athrun climbed out. "Athrun!" she called out as she reached the ZAKU, gasping for air.
But before she could say anything else, there was a loud explosion and the ship rumbled briefly. "What was that? What's happening?" a worried Vino asked.
"Those were shockwaves. They've just gone all around world." Rey quietly explained.
"Have we been able to reach ORB?" Flay asked Cagalli as she approached the group, a slight, desperate tone was noticeable in her voice.
"No. The dust is blocking any and all signals we send." she replied. "Don't worry. They would have taken refuge in the shelter before the debris hit."
"It doesn't matter much at the moment." John said as he joined the group. "We need to get you to ORB, Cagalli, immediately. You and your father."
"But why? I mean I know I need to get to back to ORB after what's happened, but I-"
"No. You don't understand. Junius Seven falling to Earth was not an accident." John replied. "It was dropped intentionally. The men and women piloting those rogue GINNs were also the ones that caused Junius Seven to fall."
His words surprised everyone save for Athrun, Shinn, Heero and Flay. "What?! But why? Why would anyone want to do that?" Cagalli asked.
"They were supporters of Hong Fa Wu's beliefs and soldiers that lost their families at Junius Seven." John answered.
"Despite our actions, a lot of fragments still fell to Earth." Athrun grimly added. "We couldn't stop it completely." He paused for moment. "Even though it was caused by a small group, all anyone will remember is that they were Coordinators."
John let out a tired sigh. "This could be the second-coming of the Bloody Valentine. We need to get you back to ORB as soon as possible."
Aprilius One
An Hour Later
"Shanghai, the Gobi Desert, Quebec, the North Atlantic. There's no way of telling how high the death toll will rise. A horrific tragedy. But I'm afraid the worst is yet to come." Durandal said to the young woman sitting on the couch behind him. "Are you prepared to help me?"
"Yes Chairman." the girl replied. "I will do whatever you need me to do."
Unseen by the girl, Durandal smiled.
The Minerva
The Minerva had landed on the Pacific Ocean. The crew was taking break before they started repairing the Minerva. Many of the younger crewmen were on the outer decks of the ship, admiring the vast ocean before them. Above them, the gray dust clouds still lingered, but there were a few beams of sunlight were poking through the cloud cover.
Flay was on the deck as well, leaning against the hull and staring at her locket in her hand. "Hey. Who are those two?" Luna asked, startling Flay. "Is that your baby brother?"
"Ah... No. That's Alexander. ...My son."
Luna's eyes widened. "Oh... Err… Sorry."
Flay shook her head. "Don't be. He was one of the few bright spots of the war for me."
"You fought in the war?"
"No. Not really. I was on Heliopolis when it was attacked and I ended up on the Archangel. For a time, I served on that ship. And that's where I fell in love with Alexander's father." Flay replied. "He's the former pilot of the Raven and now pilots the Exia."
"Is that him?" Luna asked, pointing to Chris's picture.
"Yes. But he almost never got to meet his son. He almost died at Jachin Due."
"Oh."
One Week After the Battle of Jachin Due
ORB
A group of people gathered before the make-shift memorial. It had been made from a damaged head of an ORB Astray that had been destroyed during the Battle of ORB. Written on the side facing the people were the words, 'In memory of those that fought and died in defense of ORB, and all those that died in the Bloody Valentine War.' Below those words, numerous pictures of fallen ORB soldiers and the members of the ORB government that sacrificed themselves with Hali. But alongside their pictures, were pictures of the other fallen soldiers. Crewmen and pilots from the Archangel, the Eternal, the Kusanagi, the 7th Fleet and the 11th Fleet that had died in the battles in space were there.
General Samuel Dante approached the memorial and turned to face the group. "For us, the storm has passed. The war is over. But let us never forget those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure, sacrifice, and unshakable conviction that the war could be ended without one side wiping out the other. As we start to rebuild our homes, a monument shall rise here. A memorial to heroes fallen. They ennobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten."
Samuel then turned and saluted the memorial. "Present arms!" the sergeant of the seven-man Honor Guard called out.
The soldiers lifted up their rifles and fired off three volleys. As they fired, some people started to walk towards the memorial, leaving flowers next to photos of friends of loved ones. Miriallia placed a bouquet of flowers underneath Tolle's photo. Behind her, stood Dearka. Miri's eyes began to water as she put a hand to her mouth, trying to suppress her sobs. Dearka put his hands on her shoulders, comforting her as they walked away.
Flay was about to approach the memorial, when a hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. It was Kira. "Flay... I'm sorry about what happened." he said, unable to look her in the eyes as his eyes watered. "If I had-"
"It wasn't your fault. Nisha died saving your life, my life, Chris's life and our child's life." she said, fighting back her own tears. "He would have done it regardless of you could have done."
The two cried as they embraced each other in hug.
"Don't be. He lived, but at the cost of another friend." Flay said.
Nearby, Cagalli and Athrun stared out into the ocean together. Cagalli turned to Athrun. "Are you all right, Athrun?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Athrun replied.
"You had me worried." Cagalli admitted. "You never told that you were going out in a mobile suit."
A small smile crossed Athrun's lips. "I should have told you about that. Sorry."
"No, that's alright. I know how skilled you are." she said. "And to be honest, I'm a little glad that you did go out and help. Thanks to your efforts and the efforts of everyone else, the damage to the planet was lessened considerably."
To Athrun, it didn't feel like much of an accomplishment. There had still been a great deal of damage done to the planet from the fragments. And if the people of Earth found out that it wasn't an accident, and that a group of Coordinators were responsible, things would only get worse.
"Excuse me, may I speak with Athrun alone?" John asked as he approached the pair.
"Ah... Yeah, sure." Cagalli said before she walked away from the two.
"Take a walk with me Athrun." John said as he started heading back inside the ship, Athrun following after him. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Athrun answered.
"Really? Well if I were you, I don't think I would be." John commented. "The men that caused this incident were fanatics to your father's friend's cause. In many ways, this was his legacy." He turned his head to Athrun, but Athrun found himself unable to meet his gaze. "You are not your father's friend, Athrun. Nor are you responsible for his actions and the consciences of his actions. Stop blaming yourself for what he did and stop thinking that you could have reasoned with him and stopped his madness. He had chosen long before the Bloody Valentine. That tragedy only spurred him on. Stop doubting yourself and walk your path, Athrun, the path that you and your father chose. That's all I can say."
Athrun nodded. "I know that. My father wouldn't want me to think I was. I just feel like I could have done something to stop him, that's all. Dad would have wanted me to. What he did, he did on his own. I couldn't change his mind even if I wanted to. All I can say is I tried to stop him. Nothing more."
John smiled at the response.
The Girty Lue
Neo entered the lab of the third generation Extended. Dr. Mikhail Andras was there, humming as he typed on a small terminal. Next to him, Treize was heavily strapped onto a table. His limbs were bound with multiple leather straps while metal clamps were holding his head in place. A number of wires were connected to his skull from the terminal. Treize's appeared lifeless, aside from his steady breathing and the occasional facial and hand twitch.
Unlike the second generation of Extended, the third generation could not handle repeated mental modifications. It would weaken and corrupt their programming. And if that happened, no one could control them. But they still required regular inspection and maintenance on their programming every couple of weeks. And the only person allowed to do that was their creator, Dr. Andras.
The doctor finished his typing in a command and pressed the Execute button. Treize let out a gasp. The life returned to his mismatched eyes. After a few seconds, a look of pure hatred filled those eyes. "I will...make...you...pay..." he rasped as he weakly struggled against his bonds. "I...will...kill...you..."
Neo was taken back Treize's words. "What did you do to him?"
"I forgot that this is your first time watching one of these sessions. Don't worry. In order to properly inspect his programming, I must deactivate it. This is just the last shreds of the original subject's mind." Andras commented, his eyes focus on the computer screen in front of him. "But he serves his purpose. As do the others. Now you said that 1304 was having the same difficulties with the ZAFT forces, correct?"
"Yes."
"That just won't do." Andras said, once again typing away. "1304 is the zenith of all the research and experiments we have done. There shouldn't be anyone capable of stopping him."
"Well, Treize and the others-"
"Treize. You know I've wondered why you gave the EX-C Units names." the doctor said, interrupting him. "They are weapons, nothing more. Giving them names is pointless. They exist only to fight and kill. They are true soldiers. Devoid of self-preservation, mercy, fear, regret and morals. But they are not human. Hence, there is no need to be treated as such."
Truthfully, Neo hated this man. He had seen firsthand Dr. Andras's final test for the EX-C Units. A free-for-all between the thirty-four EX-C Units. The battle lasted for just over two hours, when there were only three bloody Extended left. He had asked Andras why, if they had thirty-four completed Units, they were subjecting them to such a trial. Andras replied that the drugs that sustained them were too expensive to keep more than half a dozen. He believed that the final combat test was the effective way to 'cut the chaff from the wheat while burning the chaff at the same time' as he had said. Neo knew that man had done even worse over the years as well. "It's easier to call by a name rather than by their numbers all the time." he answered.
Andras typed in a final sting of commands and pressed Execute again. Treize let out a loud, pained scream as he thrashed against his bonds. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he stopped screaming, collapsing into unconsciousness. "There. Maintenance and readjustments complete." he said, unstrapping Treize from the table.
A moment later, Treize's eyes opened. "Sirs." he said, sitting up. Seemingly unaware of what just happened. "Is my maintenance complete?"
"Yes 1304. Put your mask back on and return to your quarters for rest. Report any anomalies immediately" the doctor ordered.
Treize grabbed his mask from a nearby table and left the lab. "Do not worry, Captain Roanoke. 1304 will be operating at maximum performance from now on." Andras said.
Neo raised his eyebrow, though it was hidden behind his mask. "Even against that new white machine and our former machines?"
"Yes. Even if those three are still alive and piloting those machines, I guarantee that he'll bring you that heads of those machines." Andras replied with a smirk. "After all, he is my greatest work of art. My masterpiece."
The Minerva's Bridge
"What's the status on communications?" Talia asked.
"We still can't get through ma'am." Burt answered.
Talia sighed. "The status on the repairs?"
"Within a few hours, we'll be able to head to Carpentaria for full repairs." Arthur replied.
"May I make a suggestion Captain? ORB is closer then Carpentaria." John said. "The Chief Representatives need to get back to ORB as soon as possible. The ORB government would be grateful for personally returning the Chief Representatives. Enough so that they would be obligated to repay you by helping out with repairs on the Minerva."
Talia nodded, seeing the logic in his suggestion. "I agree. Arthur, when the repairs are complete, set course for ORB."
Washington D.C.
President Hilson looked up at the sky, now freed from the underground room that had protected her and the rest of the staff of her administration. The debris had finished falling, finally coming to a stop an hour later.
"There will be those who want revenge on the PLANTs for this." John Keller said as he looked at the president.
"That may be true, but we will put a stop to it." The U.S. leader replied.
Keller just frowned. "You do realize that people in both the PLANTs and on Earth will demand to know why you ordered the destruction of a war memorial, right?"
The president just huffed once. "If they want to know why, then I will tell them why. Even if they do not like the answer, they will just have to accept it was either that, or have the human race wiped out." She replied. And it was true.
Truthfully, President Hilson had not wanted to do it, but in the end, there had been no choice. And if given the chance, she would do it again with no hesitation.
"The new war has begun…" she murmured as she looked up at the PLANTs.
Defense Secretary Keller nodded. "Yes. There will no doubt be retaliation against the PLANTs, even when they were not responsible. We need to be prepared to counter that. And there is only one way we know how…"
His superior nodded. "Agreed. Prepare another two missiles for launch in case the PLANTs are targeted for nuclear attack."
"Yes, ma'am."
Missile silos
The techs ran around as two massive ICBMs were raised out of the underground silos. Steam hissed as the elevators came to a stop, the sunlight gleaming on the newly cleaned and polished metal body of the missiles.
This was just another routine launch, even though the circumstances surrounding it were not. The PLANTs were being targeted again, and nuclear missiles were the only way to counter other nukes. And NASA had those in abundance.
People looked over the missile systems, checking everything from the NJCs to the nuclear fusion reactor powered engines. The warheads were armed, and the engines were cleared for usage as well.
This was one thing that they could not mess up on.
New Juneau
Aki' looked on as the large dust clouds rose on the planet below the colony. They were not as large as they could have been, and it was all thanks to NASA's reaction in time.
Still, a large number of lives had been lost, which was not good, no matter what the situation. That was the one thing that NASA had not wanted to happen, even when they blew up the remains of Junius Seven.
'Destroying a war memorial…who would've thought we would so such a thing for once?' he mused as the large impact zones began to become visible.
But what he did question was why use nuclear ICBM missiles instead of the Meteor Breakers that the PLANTs had developed. Considering that the breakers would have left even larger pieces in the wake of the colony's drop, it seemed to make more sense though, considering that ICBMs were designed to wipe out cities, which is what the PLANTs were.
That seemed to make more sense, and it reduced the number of lives lost as well. But at a price. Anytime an ICBM was used, it was one less weapon that the United States had.
And that was a price that needed to be accepted.
Still, it did not sit well with him even though it had been necessary.
And that was what bothered him the most.
PLANTs
Chairman Durandal stared as he watched the flashes occur over and over again on the recorded clips. There was no mistake. Those were ICBMS…
But who had launched them?
"Sir." A ZAFT officer said as he saluted upon entering the room.
The chairman faced him. "What is it?"
"We have just analyzed the trajectory of those missiles that had been launched and back-tracked it to the nation that was responsible." The ZAFT officer replied.
Chairman Durandal nodded at the information. "Good. Did you find out which nation blew up the remains of Junius Seven?"
"Yes sir. But it is not one that you would expect." The officer replied.
"So? I'm pretty sure I can handle the news." The chairman purred. "After all, I am the chairman of the PLANTs."
"Yes, well, you see, the nation responsible was NASA, mainly the United States, sir. That was where the two missiles came from." The officer said nervously.
Chairman Durandal's eyes widened at the information. "WHAT?! NASA blew up a WAR MEMORIAL?!" he practically shouted.
"Yes, sir." The officer replied meekly.
"I see. Please leave. I need some time to think this over." The chairman ordered.
The officer saluted before leaving, the door hissing shut as he did so.
Now alone, Chairman Durandal could think. The news about NASA using nuclear missiles to blow up the remains of Junius Seven was a problem, mainly because it threatened the whole process.
'It shows that they are not afraid to use them. And that will be a problem, not just for the Earth Forces, but also for us as well.' He noted as the flashes played out over and over again.
That mere fact chilled him. President Hilson did not mess around when it came to certain matters, and that was one of them.
'But maybe I can use that to my advantage...' the chairman mused as he ran a hand down the monitor.
NASA, Washington D.C.
Many people were in the press room of the White House, awaiting the President of the United States to answer their questions.
She entered with Secret Service agents beside her. Once she was at the podium, many cameras flashed and President Hilson found herself bombarded with questions.
"Madam President. Why did you blow up Junius Seven's remains?"
The President looked at the male reporter from MSNBC. "It was to prevent a large loss of life to the planet and to prevent a massive extinction of the human race."
"What will the PLANTs think of this?"
A female reporter had shoved her mike forward. The president did not even waver. "That will be dealt with in time. For now, the cleanup of the impact zones takes priority." She replied.
"Did you even consider the repercussions of your decision?"
Another reporter had his mike towards her face.
President Hilson then addressed him as well. "While I did consider the consequences of my actions, it was the better of the three options that had been presented to me at the time."
"If you had the chance to do it again, would you?"
Another female reporter had her microphone up. The president just merely nodded. "Yes, I would. While I do regret blowing up a war memorial, I do not regret my orders I gave."
While she spoke to the reporters, it was being broadcasted all over the PLANTs and the planet, not mention all over NASA as well.
Minerva
The crew had gathered in the lounge while the captain was watching from her room.
"I do not regret giving the order to blow up Junius Seven's remains. While it was unfortunate that NASA had to resort to such a maneuver, it had to be done, otherwise there would have been many more lives lost."
"What about the Meteor Breakers that each ZAFT ship carries? Wouldn't those have done the job as well?"
The image of the president shook her head. "No. It wouldn't have been as effective. True, the colony would have been broken up, but the pieces would have been larger than what they were when we did it using just two nuclear missiles. More lives would have been lost as a result of those larger pieces as well."
ORB
"What about the cause of the descent? Was it natural, or was it a colony drop?"
"As of this moment, we have no information as to whether it was natural or intentional. We will update you as more information comes in." the president replied.
"How can you be sure that this will not happen again?"
President Hilson just looked back at the image of the NASA flag. "New Juneau is on high alert for anymore attempts to drop colony remains onto the planet. And if there are any more, we will act accordingly." She replied.
Many people were watching the NASA leader speak about her actions, but all were stunned that they had even done such a thing.
Marshal Islands
Reverend Malchio listened as the president explained her actions. The fact that she had resorted to destroying a place that was sacred to the PLANTs was disturbing, but it spoke much about her character as well. She put the needs of the planet before the needs of the PLANTs. And that was something that very few were willing to do.
Still, he did not agree with what she had done, even if it was to save the planet…
AEU
Lord Djibril was angered that the U.S. President had managed to stop his plans before they had even been put into action.
"HOW DARE SHE!" he snarled as he slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair.
The LOGOs leader was beyond pissed, and it showed in his eyes very clearly.
His plans to wipe out the Coordinators and make the world his, all stopped by one lousy order, an order that had resulted in TWO ICBMs being used to wipe out the remains of Junius Seven.
"So...she is not afraid to use her nation's greatest weapons to her advantage…" he mused. Maybe things could be salvaged still, and he knew how to get her onto his side.
If she would do so, that is…
Two sides yearned to have the power of NASA on their side, a power that would decide how the war would go. But neither sought it out to bring peace. Rather, it was for destruction, and for genocide…
Washington D.C.
The president sighed as she looked up at the sky.
She knew that soon, she would be bombarded by requests to join either the Earth Alliance or the PLANTs in the coming war. But NASA was not a nation to be used, and she had to stand up to the pressure that would no doubt be put on her for her actions.
President Hilson knew that if she did not choose a side, both would attack her nation and the others in the alliance, but if she did choose a side, then she could face the wrath of either group when in battle.
It was going to be hard, but she needed to make her decision soon.
Otherwise the war would end very, very badly…
She then looked back at the stack of reports on her desk, only to stare at the images on the top one.
It was an image of the ZAFT GINNs near the ruins of Junius Seven. Some were purple and black while others were the familiar colors of the 11th Fleet and the new machines of that new ZAFT warship. Her eyes narrowed. Why were there ZAFT GINNs not involved in the operation in that image?
Then, her eyes went wide in shock and realization. What if those GINNs had been behind the drop? What would the world say when this got out?!
President Hilson groaned as she realized what this meant. Again, NASA would have to try and defend the PLANTs, and this time they would appear to be supporting terrorists! "Great…" She murmured as she let her head fall down onto her desk.
Then, a thought crossed her mind. What if NASA conducted an investigation into why the colony fell? This way, they could say who did it without appearing to support the PLANTs, and therefore, be claimed of supporting terrorists.
President Hilson reached out to her phone and called the Pentagon. "Get me the Pentagon. I need an investigation launched into why Junius Seven fell." She said as the line transferred to the defense HQ of the nation.
"President Hilson." Defense Secretary Keller said as he came on the line. "What do you need?"
"I need an investigation launched into why Junius Seven fell. There were some ZAFT GINNs shown in the photos from New Juneau, and they were not involved in the operation to break up the colony's remains." President Hilson replied at once. "I think they may be behind it, but I cannot be too sure. Can you get that started?"
"Yes, ma'am." Defense Secretary Keller replied.
"Good. And get me the results as soon as they are done."
"You got it."
As the line went dead, the president looked back at a book that held an image she had seen once before, but only in history. 'If this means what I think it means, then a new war is coming. And if a new war is coming, then the Earth Alliance will be eager to attack the PLANTs. At least the leadership will, anyway.' She thought as her eyes narrowed. 'If the PLANTs are called undeserving of existing again…Well, we can't have that, now can we? With the new Prime Minister in Britain, there is a chance that the world will begin to toss its Blue Cosmos/LOGOs puppets out of power. And if that happens, then we will need to get ready for what is to come next.'
She grabbed that book and opened it up, only to scoff at the idea of the once mighty UN being neutral now. Slamming it back on the shelf, the President of the United States had an angry look on her face. 'This war is going to again be over genetics, as well as a potential misunderstanding. The world has no political forum in which to talk over these things and come to and understanding as well as an agreement. We need that kind of forum again! But the old forum for that is long neutral, never again to re-enter world affairs. There's nothing that can be done…unless…' She looked up, just as an idea began to form in her mind. It was crazy, yes, but it just might work…
President Hilson then turned and walked over to the phone again. Once more, she called the Pentagon. "What is it, ma'am?" Defense Secretary Keller asked again.
"Do you know if we have the original founding document for after World War II?" She asked, making Keller perk up over the phone.
"As far as I know, yes. I believe it is still stored at Fort Knox, why?"
"Get it down here to the White House as soon as possible. Also, get me Prime Minister Warson and President Gonzalez on the lines as well as Vice-President Young."
"Yes, ma'am."
As the line closed, the president looked out at the sky above the White House.
A smirk was on her face. 'If the EA wants a new war, well, they'll get one, alright, but not one they expect to go their way…'
Chapter is complete. NASA does the unthinkable, blowing up a war memorial, which leaves the rest of the world reeling. The president tries to explain her actions, but what consequences will this have for NASA in the future? The Minerva lands safely on Earth, but just how will they react to the news that NASA had done something they would never do?
Anyway, you all know this, but I will put it anyway. Constructive criticism is appreciated as are reviews. Flames, AKA, hate-filled/spamming reviews, WILL be reported and/or deleted depending on if they are signed or not.
Anyway, read and review! ^^
