Disclaimer: RANMA ½, TENCHI MUYO, ROBOTECH, BABYLON 5, STAR TREK, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, GUNDAM SEED, I Don't own them so please don't Sue me if I mess around with them.
Chapter 5
ORB
3 Days Later
11:00 HRS
After that skirmish with the EF and ZAFT, the Prometheus left the area and is now orbiting above the Island nation of ORB. In the insistent of the Admiral Saotome guest during their time of serious discussion, Rev. Malchio requested that another person should be involved in the very important meeting, be attending.
Eileen and David agreed with him when they heard who it is, and so off they went, though David had to go back to Washington and let his appointed delegates to be in his place in the meeting.
The SDF-2 Prometheus, is now hovering just outside ORB Territory and watching over a few fishing boats coming close to the Shore of Onogoro Island.
One boat they noticed is undoubtedly, a ZAFT surveillance vessel, and is seems to be watching over a particular part of the shoreline, they knew it was ZAFT because there is a Voguslov-class Submarine just 10 miles away at 500 feet below the surface.
Ranma watch the monitor at the CIC Bridge with Scott and trying to guess what they were up to.
"They seem to be very interested in this particular part of the shoreline," Ranma said
"We've scan that Shoreline Admiral and the only thing we found is this Sir" Scott showed what ZAFT is monitoring.
The screen shows a building with several people mostly children
"Some sort of orphanage," Ranma observed "Now what would they want to… what the," the screens showed one person, Ranma was wide eyes to recognize who it was
"Zoom in and enhance on the person with the pink hair," he ordered and as he suspected one recognizable person in the entire world who has pink hair and is playing with the children.
"That is who, I think it is?"
"Yes Sir, it's Miss Lacus Clyne herself," Scott verified, Ranma slump back at his command chair. They came here to meet the famous Ms. Lacus Clyne to add her in the discussion of a peace treaty and found a ZAFT sub skulking around.
"Scott, keep an eye on them and have the Neptune shadow that sub," he ordered "these hooligans are up to something" he believed
"Yes Sir" he saluted as Ranma walk towards the turbolift.
He left the CIC, and headed towards the Ships Hanger Bay where the Three Mobile Suits were being inspected by his R&D people they takes a good look them and adds 3 new MS in their data collection.
Along with Ranma, Col. Char is following him as he report about the captured Earth Forces pilots and ZAFT pilots they took with them, but they were more interested on the three kids.
"The 3 EAF soldiers, undoubtedly 'Extended' pilotings the Gundams are 3 kids now hospitalized," he said and explained what is happening to them
"The Doctors is doing everything they can to help them, but it seems that, they are going thru a withdrawal syndrome, as preliminary check up reveals alot drugs pumped into them"
"Poor Kids" he remark and then Ranma ask
"And what about Major Mwu La Flaga, whom now calls himself Col. Neo Lorrnoke… how is the Hawk?" there was an air of guilt in his voice and with good reason
During the last day of the war, Major La Flaga shielded the Archangel from the Lohengrin blast from the Dominion with the X-105 Strike. Its Phase Shift Armor held but it severely damages the strike. The cockpit survived as did the pilot but he was severely hurt.
At that time after 'The Battle of Yachin Due'
The REF went on a civilian Search and Rescue Mission, one group using their shuttles have found Mwu, they treated his wounds and handed him over to the nearest EA ship.
The REF never knew that they just handed over La Flaga to Logos.
"The doctor is giving a thorough check up on him right now sir, but it looks like he has suffered from amnesia," Char answered
They were now at Hangar Bay 7, and are looking at the 3 Gundams they've taken. Ranma thoughts are about Mwu condition and what had happened to him, Ranma concluded that,
"Its Most likely that… Logos told him who he is not, and enlisted him to their side"
"That is most likely sir," Char agrees,
"Our Profile says that, he would never ally himself with those maggots" Ranma nods in agreement with him on that,
'Logos are maggots'
"He's too good an officer to join those bunch scoundrels, which I agree, he would never join them"
Looking at the 3 Gundams designed by ZAFT, Char told Ranma of Mwu reaction when the 3 Extended were in trouble, Mwu started to be, worried and demanded to see them.
As it turns out, Mwu trained them to be good pilots to fight to survive. He seems keen on protecting them; maybe it was the only way for him to help them. For if, they were no use to Logos, no doubt that they will be killed immediately.
REF knew that Logos were training children to become soldiers and plans were being made to deal with it.
In Lodonia.
"I think it is time that we cut the ties between the Atlantic Federation and Logos 'Extended' program," he looks back to Char
"Try to get Mwu cooperate with us, show him that we mean no ill will to them and the 3 kids we have in the hospital, and offer him and the three kids sanctuary"
"Yes Sir" Char saluted and walk away
Right then Ranma communicator sounded up from his side, he pulled it out and talk to it
"Yes?" he spoke to it and Scott's voice spoke back
"Admiral, we just received an encoded message from the Sojourner Truth, priority one, he's now headed back to Earth and will arrive within the hour"
"Capt. Noa ship," he remembers, 'He's back on a recon mission in ZAFT territory,' he thought and worried on the P1 message he sent ahead.
"What's the message Scott?"
"Admiral there is only two words in the message… GENESIS confirmed"
"GENESIS" that name is something he knows too well if it comes from ZAFT territory
"Have the command staff be informed of a meeting at 13:00 hrs today at Briefing Room,"
"Yes Sir," After that Ranma grumbled at the situation and thought to himself 'If it's not one problem it's another, Danm!' he breath deeply, and exhaled as to calm himself down
"Well, this is expected since The EAF built Requiem because ZAFT have just build another GENESIS"
From the Intel they got from Djibril computers, Logos suspected that they built another Gamma Ray Laser array, and they were right.
"Admiral" Scott voice came on and he replied
"Scott, Contact Captain Yuiry and Captain Bidan at the Briefing Room at 13:00 hrs today, and get us up in orbit, immediately"
"Yes Sir"
13:00 hrs
Briefing Room
In the room gathered the command staff and 3 of the REF top captains, Capt. Fa Yuiry of the Hawaii a Gloria-class battleship, Captain Kamille Bidan of the Argama an Ark Royal-Class Escort Battle Carrier and Captain Bright Noa of Sojourner Truth a Stargazer-Class Stealth Frigate.
The three captains are legendary to the RDF, as they all served on the SDF-1White Base an during the War with the Robotech Masters and they are all, under the wing of the Admiral even then, and they are part of 'Alpha Strike'
Captain Noa stands up from his seat a holoscreen is activated to show to everyone his discovery inside ZAFT territory, and showed them on the big screen a fortress called Messiah.
The fortress is mobile by rocket engines, with lightwave barrier shielding systems gun emplacements, rotating ring sections, missile launchers and a spaceport.
The Fortress is big and impressively built, but it was nowhere near intimidating like Dolza Space Fortress, and even with the half size, GENESIS weapon installed, a Neo-Nupetiet Vergnitzs class Battleship that is far more intimidating than any ZAFT Space Fortress in comparison.
"Our passive scans reveals that the Gamma Ray Laser weapon is fully operational, and quantum dating reveals that it's only less than a year old," Noa reported and Ranma grumbled at the discovery
"First Requiem, now GENESIS," Ranma rubs the temple of his head
"Mann! These people really need a time out" he looks toward Scott as he gave an Intel report about EA and ZAFT activities across the world
"With the problems plaguing the Atlantic Federation, the Earth Alliance is placed at high alert, fearing that any attempts that ZAFT might take an advantage of their situation and ZAFT may take that advantage"
He showed on screens, a tactical view of EA and ZAFT troops in colors by blue and red
"With the EAF command is in disarray, ZAFT began reinforcing their positions at mostly near Atlantic Federation territories," Scott added
"Blue Cosmos members have been reassigned somewhere else, mostly in key military installations. Heaven's Base, Arzachel Base on the Moon and Daedalus where Requiem is located" he seated back and it was now Ranma turn to talk
"So far both sides are peaceful with a few minor skirmishes with ZAFT; the Atlantic Federation is trying to ease the public's anger and is reorganizing the government without any Logos connections. The problem that needs to be dealt with is, Lord Djibril von Hitler, chairman of the National Defense Committee" the family name mention, is someone to them, a very familiar and infamous name of a person in their world.
X
Lord Djibril von Hitler, to their surprise and everyone else's disgust, the man is the descendant of Adolf Hitler of C.E.Earth, their Earth experienced a different type of Second World War, and yet not unlike Alpha Earth own version, it seems that even this man and his family line is rotten to the core. The Adolf of this world never became the Fuhrer; instead, he became a Merchant of Death as an Arms Manufacturer in Europe and Asia and with money in his pocket and with it, he gains power as he manipulates the politics of the world and profit from it.
X
"He's cornered, he's isolated and he's mad as hell," he said "So far so good, he hasn't done anything yet, and that gives our alliance friends time to get ready to peacefully remove him and Blue Cosmos from the military and government power," he said and told them another problem
"Unfortunately, someone is provoking a war at this critical time and its not Blue Cosmos" he pointed out the problem
"It's Chairman Dullindal's of the Plants, and he's trying to provoke a war"
Holoscreens opens up to show the individual Ranma is referring to, as Scott Bernard explained to the others their suspicion
"Ever since the fall, we have been investigating that incident by backtracking the equipments used to move that colony," Bernard showed one of the equipment used.
The REF was able to recover several Flare Motors a Maintenance mobile suit and a mobile suit called a GINN before the Junius 7 was destroyed.
"When we retrieve those Flare Motors and look at the Manufacturing serial number inside, and then back track its manufacturer, we found out who last acquired It.," he explained
"These were surplus equipment from a Plants Construction Company, and according to their records; the Flare Motors is in a storage facility at Januarius 1 colony or was stored." He showed to everyone the report from IWD
"IWD agents was sent there to investigate, and they found none, and from what we can tell from their records, the flare motors was scrap by the company just last month," Bernard then added
"That company was partly owned by the Plants Chairman, Gilbert Dullindal"
Ranma continued for him "Flare Motors were designed to move objects using the sun's solar flares as propulsion, and it will take at least 2 weeks to install these on Junius 7 which was just in time for the first solar storm that came passing by,"
"IWD also found that the GINN and maintenance mobile suits were, according to ZAFT records, are stored at Januarius 1. From the manufacturer's records, the GINN was first sent and deployed at Januarius 1 to guard the PLANTs eugenic research center, and was decommissioned last month by the Plants Chairman,"
"The paper trail is a bit too easy, but then I doubt that anyone would be investigating this if it had went thru as they had planned" Noa said
"You are right about that Noa," Ranma agreed with him
"Think about it, if Junius 7 fall had succeeded, I doubt that anyone would be investigating as to how those terrorist got well equip to do that operation in the first place," everyone agrees with him, for if it had succeeded, everyone on earth will be preoccupied in crying out for vengeance.
"Though the evidence looks good, it's a bit circumstantial, it is possible that he could be involved or maybe even the one caused it, but ever since he tried to detain Judah weeks ago... well it's starting to look like he may had a hand in all of this"
"Admiral," Kamille spoke up
"Sir, if this is true, then ZAFT is responsible"
"Not necessarily" Ranma shook his head disagreeing with him
"ZAFT may not be responsible for this Kamille," he said "Most likely, they are just one of the pawns in a chess game he's playing," Ranma do not believe that they will do something like that.
"Causing a colony to fall to earth is committing genocide and Earth will definitely retaliate," he said
"I doubt that anyone in ZAFT would want another war, now that the Earth Alliance has their own Mobile Suits and developing more advance weaponry, and they are Nuclear capable again, thanks to the N-Jammer Canceller" Ranma believes
"ZAFT knows that it will be more bloodier than before if war do breaks out, but this man, Gilbert Dullindal, is provoking a war for some reason"
"Admiral," Fe Yuiry ask "Why would this man wants that? I mean, surely doing such a terrible thing serves no purpose but to foster more hatred," Fa Yuiry pointed out, Ranma agrees with her
"That's what I thought so too Yuiry, but, there maybe something behind all of this that we don't know yet. Something bigger than just committing genocide"
Questioning the motives of that ZAFT Chairman has proven difficult.
"Judah said that he sense alot of anger when nothing went his way," remembering the report on what happened on ORB he told them
"When the EA Naval Fleet turned around instead of fighting the ZAFT Fleet, Judah sense his anger, Dullindal wanted to show Judah, that the EA are the aggressor and not ZAFT," he said
"Normally as it seems to be here on this Earth, yet we did not let that happen" Ranma thinks that,
"He wanted to cause a fight with the EA being the bad guys as it is the norms it seems, but we kept getting in his way and that is irritating him alot"
It was right then, that Ranma started to believe that, there is a motive to this than starting another war, yet they still have no idea what it is. The REF needed answers for questions ask.
"IWD will continue a deeper inquiry on this man, but right now, I want Alpha Strike assigned on the job on taking out those weapons when the time comes," standing up from his seat, Ranma told them and declared
"These weapons ZAFT GENESIS and the EAF REQUIEM, I have absolutely no intentions to let these hooligans fire those weapons to anyone, on Earth, the PLANTs or on us"
"We will end this farce, even if it means putting the tip of our swords down their throats, then so be it" he said
"Our meeting with Miss Lacus Clyne is tonight, and we will show them what we have found so far" he said
"Ms. Clyne is the most trusted and most respected person in three governments and of both Naturals and Coordinators on this Earth, her help could be an asset to us, as to find out what Chairman Dullindal is planning before it is too late" he also said
Mars
REF Shipyard
On the dark side of the planet orbits the massive shipyard of the REF. The fleets have been building ARMDs, Oberth's class ships and Tokugawa class Battlecruisers SFC-5000, thru an automated assembly line. Though they were only been on Mars less than a month, they finished building 10 ships a day and planned to build a thousand in 3 months.
EAS LEXINGTON
High above orbit is the EAS Lexington and in the Bridge, Captain John Sheridan and his Crew is now going thru their newly refitted Agamemnon class battleship, which is to them, is impressive. The REF has given his ship advance technology and soon enough, they will be ready to launch and headed back to Earth in Sublight Speed on their own.
As a promise Ranma made to John 2 years ago, if they ever return, he promises to refit the Lexington as first contact gesture of friendship.
The refitted Lexington, possess artificial gravity, an inertial dampening field and a Cyclops radar, and also an upgraded form of their Lightwave barrier that can protect their ship and can defend themselves even when it is raised, and all of it is powered by an upgraded fusion reactor. The REF did not give any weaponry or an FTL drive, as it was not part of Ranma promise.
Still the Lexington is above any ship in the Alliance and ZAFT has up to date, and maybe even an equal to the new ZAFT Ship the Minerva or the Archangel.
Lt. Ivanova experiences artificial gravity in the Bridge of the Lexington, felt to her a fantastic experience, which will be a while for her and the crew to get use to as well as the new systems, still she's being suspicious of the REF generosity.
"Captain," she told her feelings openly "I really don't like the feeling that were being bribed to revolt against our own government, I mean, no disrespect, they caused this mess in the first place," she said Looking towards her Sheridan ask
"And what mess would that be Lt?"
"Well sir, Uhm…well"
"Please be aware of what Logos and Blue Cosmos try to make us do, not to mention that our government is actually run by those hate mongering bigots who thinks nothing else but to think of a way to kill coordinators and make a profit out of it for Logos, and furthermore," he added
"The only thing the REF did is to tell the truth and nothing more"
"Sir, respectfully, the REF are interfering in the affairs of our world, since it's suppose to be their policy not to," she counter
"And if they haven't, Junius 7 would still be falling on Earth and killing everyone we love, would you prefer that Lieutenant Ivanova?" Sheridan said as he shot a question.
Ivanova was silent. Thinking that, If that had happened, then earth will be war against the PLANTs and ZAFT again, and it will be far worst than the last one. Ivanova shook her head
"No Sir, I don't," he answered
Sheridan sigh, and stood up from his chair and walks towards the window of his ship and look down on the planet Mars, it was exciting and a disappointment for him being here.
The Red Planet that his Earth should be the ones colonizing it by now, if people just stop bickering with one another.
Now the UN Spacys claim it as a sovereign territory, and they came from the other side of the galaxy and took it so easily.
"The REF don't have to do anything for us or to us for that matter, for to them we are hardly a threat to them" looking back to Ivanova he told her
"They can do whatever they want without our knowledge, which they could have done so and yet they didn't, and its only because of common courtesy, did they appear to us and told us their intent, and that says alot about them" and Sheridan gestured toward the red planet
"Look outside, were on Mars for God sakes, and we traveled here less, less than a day from Earth to Mars, and that Fleet out there look!" he pointed outside the REF fleet just park outside.
"They could have easily overrun all of us with no problem at all and yet they have done nothing wrong to us"
Ivanova had to agree with that, as being guest of that big ship Yamato and their stay at Prometheus City, which was an experience she will never forget. Those speak volumes of the REF technological superiority and that scares her more than anything does.
"Maybe not yet sir but…" her voice sounded doubtful, Sheridan can't blame her for thinking that way, anyone will think that way.
Sheridan took a deep breath, exhaled and relaxes as he cleared to her something "Ivanova, they are not here to take over the Alliance or Earth, what they want is a government with open minded people to do business with" he pointed out to her.
"The Atlantic Federation, our government of the people is not for the people benefit but for Logos, and they don't care about the people at all, but we do," he told her
"We are not going to cause any revolt or break up the Earth Alliance Ivanova, we are however, going to keep it from breaking apart, and take back our government from Logos and isolate them, and what is happening on earth is a good start,"
What Sheridan was referring to, was the Vacated positions in the Government that nearly brought everything in their country to a halt. So, in order to avert chaos the Pres. appointed men and women in government not a member of Logos or Blue Cosmos as OIC (Officer In Charge) and as the result, many government offices and small military commands is now purge of their influences.
For fear of their lives, most of them fled to bases such as Heaven's Base or Arzachel Moonbase and Daedalus. In the turmoil, alliances with other countries are starting to break, and that will be a problem for them.
"We are going back to convince the other commanders not to break away with the Alliance and the Lexington will convince them, and we need to convince the others to pressure the president to get some backbone or step down peacefully and let a coalition government take over for now, otherwise we will still be taking orders from Logos"
SDF-2
Prometheus City Hospital
The 3 'Extended' that from the Earth Forces were now hospitalized and was given medical treatment after their condition deteriorated since their capture.
Char was there and was talking to the attending Physicians and they explaining the conditions the 3 young pilots
"We have stabilized the 3 pilots condition, and started detoxify their systems slowly from the drugs used to increase their body strength and there are neural damages done to them, most likely due to brainwashing" the doctor reports
"Programmed to be soldiers with no fear, 'Sigh' why am I not surprise by this," he said questioning himself
"Maybe because we've seen this type programming before on our world, the Zentraedi's and the Tirolians has one as well. Heck! Even the Admiral went thru something like this only it's considered Martial Arts Training done to him by his Baka-Father"
"I take it you read the book one of his wives wrote?" Char inquiringly
"Who doesn't it's a best seller, and can you imagine yourself, a twelve year old, tied behind a moving train in order to make you run faster" that part brought shivers thru their spine.
"The things he went thru I am amazed that he's still alive" then ads
"Still, his femaletype is quite the hottie," felt a bit of envy to the admiral of all things
"I kinda reason why he has so many women is still married to him, and so many more women want him, after all, they get the best of both worlds when he's concern" he chuckled at the perverted thoughts.
"Er, yeah" Char frowns at the idea of any Man turning into a Woman just by splashing cold water, thanks to mystical cursed spring he fell into years ago.
How the Admiral was able to keep his sanity is beyond him. The life of their Admiral before the REF is quite weird, the multitude of gorgeous women that seems they practically, throwing themselves at him as well as powerful rivals that want to kill him, along with interfering relatives on Earth and Beyond who keeps messing up his love life and the reason why he ended up having multiple marriages.
Still everyone seems to accept it, that, other than they want to get in bed with both of his gender forms, especially the women.
"Well, once he sees this report, you can be assured that he'll tie them behind the train, the SOB that did this to these kids" Char is very much sure of that.
"What about Major La Flaga a.k.a. Colonel Neo Lorrnoke, what have you found"
"Well, his amnesia is treatable; if we can expose him to people and places before he became Neo Lorrnoke, he may recognize some of it and start to remember his past as Mwu La Flaga"
"Well, the Archangel is here on ORB and so as her captain and crew, plus Kira Yamato is here…he can be a start"
The Doctor nods agreeing with him.
TBC