Chapter Five:The contradiction of peace
Celestial Being continues it's mission to erease war. Their next target is the island So Rogma. Open rebellion has broken up between the two cultural and political factions. Celestial Being tries to disable both fighting forces with the use of Gundam Praetorian and Virtue. Meanwhile Lockon and Allelujah enjoys their brief free time on Earth.
Allelujah is wandering around with his new friends, Saji and Louise amongst the shops in Tokyo. He watched a whole bunch of pictures about the city and knows exactly how big area it occupies and how many residents it has( thanks to Veda's information) but it's a whole other experience being there and seeing everything with your own eyes. He's fascinated by that despite he's usually depressed by the large crowds. Saji catches Allelujah's expression.
-Saji: This is your first time in a large city such as this?
Allelujah surprised by the question. He's visited a few capitals of countries but he always had something to do there and he had no time for sightseeing. But he can't talk about it to them.
-Allelujah: Yes.
-Louise: Then you lived on the countryside or a village? Or something more exotic?
-Allelujah: ...What? No, I lived in a small town at the American States.
-(Hallelujah): Nice lie. You were a labrat in an unknown place. The only time when you released to the world they ordered you to kill or destroy. But if you tell them that they'll surely loathe you or simply scared of you. Keep lying and play nice but you can't live like this forever.
Allelujah holds his head.
-Saji:Are you alright? So are you from the leading country of the Union? It's strange. It has many great cities, some of them even larger than Tokyo. Not to mention it's the same with the education. Why come you to place as far as Japan then?
-Allelujah: Um...
-Louise: We're here. Hurry!
-Saji: Surely a long story. We should talk about it later.*turns to Louise* Alright!
-(Hallelujah): You're damn lucky. He leaves you enough time to think out throughly your pretty lie.
-Allelujah:*whispers* Please keep silent...I know it.
-(Hallelujah): Alright, then enjoy your happy fake life!
-Allelujah: He's right again...as always.
He murmured it and follows the pair. He's deffinietly going to enjoy his time here. No mater how much lies he must make.
Meanwhile Kovac Sturmer has just finished with the last mobile suit from the Tellam forces in the area. It wasn't a fight, more like a massacre of metal. With the Gundams' obvious technological advantage it was expected. After about 10 minutes and nothing remained just two dozens of Anf wreckages and the remains of other vehicles. Kovac sighs. Just like in his previous life. Even if the aims has changed but the means hardly. He analyses the wreckages and takes proper pictures of the scene. It's essential to his report.
-Kovac: Kovac Sturmer, Praetorian Gundam finish...
He's disturbed by the shockweave of something really strong. It didn't hit but the optics are confused by the huge amount of dust and dirt. The other sensors are in dissaray too a bit.
-Kovac: What the...
Two other impacts with similar force. Both missed.
-Computer:Unindentified Linear weapons. Impact force about 40000. Distances 7104, 7135, 7165 from 11 o' clock. Launchers are 3 Hellion type mobile suits. Proper type number unknown.
Thanks to the link with Veda the Gundams can use it's worldwide observation cameras for visual identication. The whole thing only takes a second and Gundam can gain wide range of information of the battlefield. With that even without any sensors the pilots have a general picture about the happenings around him. Perhaps the system's far from almighty. That's why the Gundams have excellent sensory systems too.
-Kovac:Damn that's more like a battleship weapon. Hellions? What the hell they are doing here?
another barrage from the 3 Hellions. One hit the shield of the Praetorian. Luckily still no clear hits, but the impact at the shield made the whole machine move. The mobile suit has almost lost it's balance.
-Kovac: Damn! Not even 10 seconds? I wonder if I can survive even one direct hit from that thing. Check it!
Meanwhile Kovac moves the suit. The optics are still confused by the previous shots, but it can manage basic maneuvers.
-Computer: It's threat level medium, partial damage but it's not absolutely lethal.*beep* Incomming enemy mobile suit. Distance 6250, orientation 10 o' clock, type Enact, main weapon unknown. Speed 700.
The computer zooms on the new threat. It's really an Enact and it's equiped with the default flight unit and a strange-looking rifle. It flies with full force towards him.
-Kovac: And now that. Shit... I've fallen into their pitty trap.
Another barrage from affar but it can't hit from that distance. Meanwhile the Enact closes in rapidly.
Inside the Enact's cockpit:
-Saachez: useless idiots. Not even damage it?*smirks* At least I can play little bit more with it.
Saachez aims and fires with the Enact's rifle. It sprays a bright beam of light. It hit the Gundam but without any effect.
-Saachez: Damn...It spread too much. The beam weapons are such unrealible things... At least I can take a closer look on it.*grins*
Meanwhile Kovac is seriously surprised.
-Computer: Beam rifle, possible threat range 1200.
-Kovac: It didn't miss? A beam rifle? What the hell's going on?Hah... At least the sensors are fully restored.
Kovac aims at the Enact and fires a couple of beams but the Enact manages to avoid all of them. Then Kovac changes to rapid shot but even with that he only manages few hits. And even those hits have blocked by the mobile suit's Defense Rod.
-Kovac: How? ... Anti-beam coating. It's just starting to get crazier and crazier. I have to hit that damn thing with a regular shot.
The Enact shoots again. This time from much closer. Kovac manages to block it with the Praetorian's shield.
-Saachez: Good...I could play with him a little.
Kovac is no more surprised about anything. His enemy's a frighteningly reckless ace pilot with a freshly developed mobile suit. He's ready to fight him. It's not like the fights a while ago. This is a real fight with his life on the stake. He can lose this fight unlike the previous ones.
The Enact still flyes towards the Gundam and readies it's Plasma Blade.
-Kovac: What the?...He's probably challenges me.
He charges forward too and readies it's GN Blade. The two blades are for Kovac, his GN pistol is in the same hand as the blade and it faces in a wrong direction. He can't fire on the Enact.
-Saachez:Now, now. A solid blade survives the heat of the plasma? Interesting...*turns on the speaker* Good day, Gun-something!"
-Kovac: He spoke...He tries to mock me or what? Hell, he's really full of himself!
Kovac puts more strenght to the right arm and it's slowly but surely cuts the solid part of the plasma blade. But the Enact flyes backwards and fires at the Gundam's head. Kovac manages to block it with the shield and tries to answer with it's GN Pistol. But the Enact is dissapeared. More precisely it managed to get to it's left side. It's aims with the beam gun at point blank.
-Saachez: *turns on the speakers*Don't try it. Give up, and be polite.*laughs*
-Kovac: How? That guy's damn crazy. Most of the pilots would lose their conciousness with that kind of maneuver...
Not to mention it requires inhuman reflexes and control over the machine. The only way he can imagine it if the Enact made a cartwheel and barrel roll at once with full thortle and deadly precision. It's just plain crazy just to imagine it.
-(Kovac)Anyways, it's really troubling. That beam gun has enough power to easily roast me alive. And with such a close range iI have no way to avoid it. In Normal case it means automatic defeat and surrender, but...
-Kovac: Luckily this guy has it's own special tricks.
The Praetorian Gundam silently detached it's shield. It remained floated on it's place like nothing's happened. Then the shield moves to push away the rifle on it's own while the Gundam moves to the opposite direction.
-Saachez:What the...
Saachez is surprised by the counter. It's natural. You can't except a huge multi-ton mass thing to float freely. He even drops the gun from the shield's push. The a Praetorian Gundam faces the Enact and fires. He barely managed to avoid the beam burst. Some of the lights even managed to hit the Enact's shins and destroy it. Ali tries to escape. Kovac chases it but the Enact suddenly turns and shoots a couple of missiles. They explode in mid-air causing a blinding flash that temporary blinds the main camera and confuses almost any other sensors. Kovac quickly switches to the backups and luckily the Enact remained there. He slices the suit in half, but something is strange about it.
-Kovac: It's too easy. Is he really dead?
The machine falls down and he zooms on it to examine the remains. It misses a part from the cokcpit. Incredibily, but he managed to catapult and land in less than 20 seconds. The only explanation if he actually fell without opening the cockpit's parachute. That man really's mad.
-Kovac: So he escaped. That...
Incomming comm call.
-Kovac: Yes?
-Tieria: I am done and according to the plan you too. Where are you?
-Kovac: 10 kilometers away. I am chasinng a...
-Tieria: Head back! The mission's cleared. Both sides' army strenght reduced to minimal. Mission complete.
-Kovac: I fought with a dangerous guy not a long time ago. I must find him.
-Tieria: Head back now! You aren't allowed to act independently. We're heading back. You explain the details later.
-Kovac: *sighs*... Alright. Kovac Sturmer, Praetorian Gundam. Third phase complete. Returning to base.
Meanwhile Lockon Stratos has just returned to Ptolemy. Everyone is surprised because half of his exeat is still remainig.
He left Earth thanks to the orbital elevator and a special shuttle waited for him nearby from Celestial Being.
These shuttles are organised by Celestial Being and looks like any private shuttle. They carry the Meisters or other CB affiliated personnel into one of the colonies under CB's control. The Ptolemy often stops bei one of theese colonies to resuply or simply just to rest. Because of Lockon's sudden arrival he must wait for a half day before he can meet the crew.
When Lockon has arrived almost everyone on Ptolemy greeted him. The only exceptions were Lichty(as a helmsman his duty was to look after the ship) and Ian's team(they're always working on something). Lockon weaves and greets them.
-Lockon:What a warm welcome.
-Sumeragi: You've arrived 3 days earlier. Anything happened?
-Lockon: No. Not really just...
-Haro: Lockon! Lockon!
-Lockon: That's...
Everyone truns back to see that jumping ball-like robot. It's an orange colored Haro that aproaches towards Lockon.
-Feldt: Haro...
-Haro: Welcome back! Welcome back!
Haro jumps into the arms of Lockon.
-Lokcon: Hello, partner!Well, you see...I actually missed this Guy.
He scratches his head. His words were only half right. He's actually more worried about the crew. With the ongoing interventions everyone has twice as much stayed for only a little at his designated place. He took a quick detour at Ireland. The reason was private. Soon after he decided to return to the Ptolemy, causing quite a surprise.
-Lockon:And true to my promise...I bought some suvenirs from the surface. Neither of you had a chance to visit it for more than a year. I thank all of you pretty homesick now.
Everyone's got some kind of gift from him. Suddenly Lichty appeared.
-Lichty: Welcome back!
-Sumeragi:Lichty! You're here? Who controls the ship then?
-Lichty: Uhm...no worries. It's on auto-pilot. I can leave it alone for a while, I guess.
-Christina: You guess?
-(Christina): How irresponsible he can be? That's why he's a no good for me.
-Lockon: Then, you're in a hurry.
He gives Lichty a book. It called "101 points to get a girl ".Lokcon leans closer.
Lockon:*whispers* Take it. You need it.
Lichty:*silently* You know... it's more humilliating than great. Do you think I'm that pathetic?
Lockon answers with a meaningful smile. No one heard their conversation.
-Lockon: Good luck!
Meanwhile Allelujah's done with shopping. Thanks to Louise and Saji he got to know a part of the city and he bought everything he wanted. The problem is...he bought many things he didn't want. Like why two toothbrushes? And many other useless things, thanks to Saji and Louise's suggestions. He's going home by train now. Suddenly he notices a knife pointed at the side of his abnomen. The place's crowded and he conceals his weapon really well. His blade comes closer and closer...
(Allelujah):Hey! What's this? Hallelujah, what do you think? Hey! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah remains silent. He have no other choice, but to disarm the man. He suddenly catches attacker's hand with the knife. His grip was strong and the man almost ciyes out of the pain, but he's too frightened to do it. At the next stop he drags out the man from the train.
Saji: Hey! What happened, Allelujah?
allelujah didn't answer and drags the man with himself. But the man trips and falls on the ground. Money and other valuables are slipping out of his coat.
Allelujah: A pickpocket?
(Hallelujah): damn! I have too much expectations. You solved the situation too nice.
-Allelujah: You knew?
-(Hallelujah): Of course. Do you even not notice it? This man had no killing intent. You're overreacting.
Louise arrived and after a while even Saji.
-Saji:What happened?
-Louise: Alle cought a bad guy!
Alli. Allelujah's nickname from Louise. She found his name too long and serious so she came up with various nicknames. Alle-chan, Alleo, Alli. and perhaps just simply Alle. He chose the last one. Maybe it's the least emberassing.
In the end they brought the pickpocket to the nearest policeman and catch the next train.
Anyways, it was past eight when they finally returned. Louise desn't live near so she had got down two stops earlier from the train. Both saji and Allelujah was tired.
-Allelujah: Thanks for helping me out and sorry.
-Saji: What? No, no problem at all. You caught a criminal. We can't help it if we stuck for half an hour waithing for the train. Anyways, Goodbye. Have a good sleep.
-Allelujah: Thanks. you too.
As soon as Allelujah getting in a sudden pain assaults his head. Furtunatelly, he manages to reach his bed. It's Hallelujah. He's going to scold Allelujah, as usual.
Meanwhile in Saji's he's eating his dinner. A young japanese woman sits in front of him.
-Woman: Well, how was your date with Louise?
Saji stops eating and answers
-Saji: Uhm...to tell the truth it's got cancelled. What about your work, sis?
She's Kniue Crossroad, Saji's older sister. Their parents passed away since a long time and they live together. She works as a reporter for JNN.
-Kinue: What? How? Then why did you come back this late?
-Saji:Ehm... It's a long story. In short we helped for my new neighboor shopping. He's just arrived and completely new to the city.
-Kinue: Really?It's such a bad timing. You're going out with Louise for a long time but you haven't had any date yet.
-Saji: I don't really mind. You didn't answer my previous question. Did anything new happened?
-Kinue: So you're interested in my work at last? To tell the truth my past days were really eventfull.
-Saji: I think so. You didn't come home for 2 days.
-Kinue: The Celestial Being and the Gundams. Two groundshaking news and they're connected. I worked for days without serious results. The only thing I've found out the old man's identity from that video message.
-Saji: Really? I think it's alone great enough.
-Kinue:*sighs* Normally, yes. But the man from the message was Aeolia Schenberg. A great scientist with many meaningful inventions, including the Solar Power Generation System.
-Saji: That sounds good.
Kinue didn't returns his euthnasm.
-Kinue: The problem is he lived 200 years ago. he must be dead now. Argh...That's so frustrating! It feels like I reached a dead end.
Next day Sergei Smirnov's got a call. It's from Kim, his friend and superior.
-Smirnov: What? At So Rogma? That's...
He's got briefly informed about the happenings at So Rogma. Both sides suffered crushing loses at the hands of Gundams. About 1200 dead. The Sanglec main military base's in ruins, more than 100 wrecked mobile suits and more than 600 other heavy equipment. All by the actions of two Gundams. It's no mere peacekeeping. It's a purification. Celestial Being made a whole country unable to fight.
-Smirnov: So that's Celestial Being's answer. Did the media leak it?
-Kim: No, not for now. The So Rogman government can't allow such a humilliating thing to slip. They ordered a complete information lockdown. Even at the HRL only a couple of officers know. Perhaps sooner or later it's going to be revealed even if not the full truth. According to the regulations the So Rogman army shouldn't have that much military power.
-Smirnov: I understand.
-Kim: And Sergei, I have another reason to call you. The higher ups placed you on the head of the new Gundam Retailating Force.
-Smirnov: Wha...how?
-Kim: Don't question it. You must be in Bejing at 16:00 tomorrow. Further details later.
Author's notes: I'm here again! I took a quite long pause. In the meantime I refined the story 3 times or more. Anyways, I try to release the chapters relatively at a continuous rate. As agift, I reworked the past chapters too. Corrected some OOC things and added a bit of more detail. Nothing really special, but if you're curious, read it. I think I jump out some happenings and toss some characters to the background(like saji's sister, Kinue. Or even Wang Liu Mei a bit). As you can see in my fanfiction Celestial Being is more agressive. It perhaps makes Celestial Being even more fearsome. It has some meaning later. Thanks for reading my work!