Gundam SEED: Future War
by DreamersLTD
If you can dream, then anything is possible. – DreamersLTD Motto
Disclaimer: Hasn't changed.
"Welcome to Phoenix Base, ladies and gentlemen. One of the Guardian's main space bases. Each of you have been personally chosen to represent the best-of-the-best that Orb, and the Zala Federation, has to offer. Each of you will be tested for mech positions. Your opponents are chosen at random by the computer. Your opponents can either be an advanced computer, an early Guardian pilot, or secret people that have even more skill than a Guardian," stated a 22 yr old, sandy-blonde haired man. "My name is Kaiser Fortissimo, and I may become a watcher to some of you. Now head for the simulators ASAP so that we can begin classifying you by teams."
Marcus, Ceciel, and several other Guardian recruits immediately headed for the simulator systems. "I'm worried, Marcus. What if we don't get the same team?" Ceciel said as she filled with apprehension.
"Don't worry. Together, we'll work something out with them. But I think that you'll do just fine." Though Marcus sounded confident, inside he was also apprehensive. What if he screwed up badly? He would only have one shot at this. Shaking his head, he and Ceciel continued to follow the other recruits. Soon, they both arrived at the simulators.
Kaiser then said, "Stand in front of a simulator. When I give the command, enter. A red light will come on, signaling the current status of the computer's deliberation. When it turns green, prepare yourself, as the battle with your designated opponent begins three seconds after." He waited until his radio came alive.
"Kaiser, send them in."
"Roger. All right everyone, get in, and saddle up. It's go time."
Marcus and Ceciel quickly shared a kiss then boarded. Just as their hatches closed, two suited figures approached Kaiser. "Excuse me, but I'm going to test Ms. Ceciel Mauser. Please reroute her opponent to me."
"But Miss, we can't possibly –" as he spun around, he realized just who was within the red and pink suit, even though the woman's head was covered by a helmet. "R-right away! Control Room! Reroute Ms. Mauser's opponent to Simulator 001! Code authorization KSR-TRN-45! Now!"
No one within the Control Room questioned why, as his code gave him some power. And besides, he seemed rushed all of a sudden.
"Thank you, Commander Kaiser."
"N-no problem!" Kaiser saluted as the woman entered simulator 001. As he was regaining his composure, another voice interrupted him.
"As for me, I'll take Mr. Green. Please reroute him to me. I'll be in simulator 002."
Kaiser again radioed the Control Room and commanded them to reroute Marcus's opponent to simulator 002. No questions asked. As the red-suited man entered, Kaiser slumped in his posture. "Why are they here? And why do they want to test them? And why now?"
Ceciel wondered why it was taking so long for her opponent to appear. She was sent into the battle simulation in space, but there was no sign of her opponent. As she quickly tested and adjusted her controls, her computer then warned her of an approaching opponent. As she looked at her IFF tag, she was stunned to see... ORB-01 Akatsuki Gundam (gold version). "That can't be right..." she whispered as she looked up to visually confirm it. There, before her, was a gold Akatsuki Gundam. "That must be a commander's unit, because the standard Orb Elite Force versions are silver! But that's hardly fair! A standard gundam (Strike Astray) against an Orb Elite!? This is going to be tough!"
The gold Akatsuki raised its beam rifle in salute. Ceciel reluctantly returned it. Then, a single text transmission came in. 'Show me what you have. Good Luck.' "Thanks..." grimly muttered Ceciel as the fight began.
Marcus had also just adjusted his controls when his computer picked up his opponent. ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam. "No way. Not a ZAFT Elite gundam model. Though its general design is old, it's still lethal in an expert's hands. This fight is hardly fair."
The Justice saluted him and sent the same message that the Akatsuki sent to Ceciel. 'Good Luck.' "I'll need every ounce of it..." muttered Marcus. "I just hope that I don't get blasted before two minutes pass..."
In Ceciel's simulation, the Akatsuki was conservatively firing. Ceciel managed to skillfully dodge the shots while attempting to return some. Unfortunately, the reflective armor only served to bounce it back. "Damn it! I have no choice but to get in close!" She activated two beam sabers and charged.
The Akatsuki parried each blow and attempted to deliver some of its own. Ceciel managed to block or evade them before having to momentarily retreat. "Why isn't it fighting well!? Is it just toying with me...? Wha!?" A pause, then "Aargh!" She was body-slammed by the Akatsuki. She then began to aggressively attempt to slice off the arms of the enemy. Still, the gold unit managed to evade and parry Ceciel's slashes effortlessly. As her opponent began to taunt her via its actions, Ceciel just snapped (not SEED). "Damn it! Fall!!!" She pushed her unit to its limit and actually managed to get slice in, damaging part of the upper right arm.
The Akatsuki then retreated back a-ways. Ceciel, still on an adrenaline high, was heaving heavily while waiting for the next move. What happened next was just a blur. The Akatsuki then when all out, as if the pilot had been switched. "Th-that's not possible!" The Akatsuki seemingly just appeared to her left and viciously cut off her left arm and damaged the upper leg.
Ceciel had to retreat and attempt to defend herself as gashes began to appear all over her unit's body. She managed two more successful swipes before her unit was found armless, legless, and thrusterless. As she looked up, she saw the Akatsuki raise its beam sabers... And stabbed them both into her cockpit...
From the get go, Marcus was facing off against two opponents, not one. The Justice's Sub-Lifter flight backpack was a very (and annoyingly) effective distraction that resulted in the loss of his unit's right hand. Trying to grab ahold of it was too dangerous, as the lifter's turrets would quickly drain his PS Armor and battery. He then tried to focus on the main unit from long range, but each shot was blocked or dodged by the Justice.
"This is really unfair! Fight me one-on-one! Coward!" roared Marcus as he blocked a beam boomerang. He then charged the Justice, ignoring the lifter, and managed to score a hit on part of the head and shoulders while losing a leg. The Justice retreated a short distance, then just as Marcus was about to charge again, the Justice and the lifter rammed straight into his unit from the front and back. Marcus instinctively closed his eyes, expecting his cockpit to be crushed...
Then both of their simulators opened. Marcus, realizing that he was still alive, opened his eyes to find that his simulator door had opened, signaling the end of his match. Slightly shaking, he stepped out. He glanced over to Ceciel's simulator, and watched as Ceciel shakily got out. "Ceciel! Are you all right!?" He managed to run over to her and hold her.
"I... I was defeated... Stabbed in the cockpit... By the Gold Akatsuki..." she studdered.
"W-what!? I faced off against the Justice! I was defeated by being crushed between it and its lifter!"
"... So does that mean that we've failed the test?" asked Ceciel.
"No. Far from it. You were both amazing." Interrupted a new voice.
The lovers turned towards the new voice. Two fully suited pilots, with their helmets still on, and followed by Kaiser, came towards them.
"What do you mean!? We lost!" exclaimed Ceciel.
"I agree. What do you mean by we were amazing?" questioned Marcus.
"What I mean is just that," stated Kaiser. The other two pilots quietly bowed then walked away.
"What was that all about!? They just bowed and left! Hey you two! It's common courtesy to reveal yourselves and shake hands!" fumed Ceciel.
The two pilots momentarily turned, saluted, then continued off.
"What the hell do you think your doing!? You just can't talk to those two just like that!" stated Kaiser.
"And may I ask why not!?" countered Marcus.
"... You seriously didn't know?"
"Know!? Know what!?" the lovers spat.
"Those two... Those two were..."
"Just say it!"
"That was Lord Zala and Lady Athha/Zala!"
"... ... ... WHAT!?!?!? That can't be!!!"
"Well, you better believe it! They came to test you to personally! And you passed! You managed to land a hit on them!"
"You're lying! They're too busy to test simple pilots like us!"
"I'm not. They piloted units that were similar to their original version. They altered their attack once they entered their rumored 'Hyper-Mode'! And finally, I have here two letters specifically for you two!" Kaiser handed out the letters to both of them. Both letters looked similar to the ones that they obtained in Orb, but it had the small insignia of the Guardians imprinted on the back.
"They also told me to tell you that your room accommodations have been upgraded. You both now share a commander's suite. The ones here are more spacious than the ones back in Orb and the ones in ZAFT. Well, read those letters and come by the mech hangars ASAP. I have further orders to introduce you to your new mechs." Kaiser then turned and left.
Ceciel and Marcus stood there stunned. Even though they lost, they were still given an upgrade. Ceciel quickly opened her letter and read the contents.
March 12, C.E. 77
Ms. Ceciel Mauser,
If you've received this letter, then that means that you had fought against me and managed to land a hit. Though I managed to defeat you, you had held up rather well until the end. As part of your reward, you have been given the option to pilot one of our newest machines that just came in. Meet with Mr. Fortissimo in the mech bay. He knows where to take you. Also, you and Mr. Green will have a shared commander's rank and a team. Your official rank is 1st Lt. I'm looking forward to seeing your full potential. Until then.
Signed, Cagalli
Ceciel couldn't believe it. She had faced off against the leader of Orb and was able land a hit. Then, all of a sudden, she realized that she had shouted at Lady Athha/Zala. "Shit! I had just yelled at her! What would she think of me!? Will I be disgracefully discharged!? Marcus I just can't –" her speech was cut short by Marcus's lips on hers. "Mmm..." she whimpered.
After a long minute, Marcus let her go. "Relax. If she would have scorned you, then you would have never obtained this letter. Now let's go."
"Wait. What about your letter? What does it say?"
"Pretty much the same thing that yours says, but with Lord Zala's signature. See?" Marcus held up his letter.
"I see." She paused for a moment. "Well, let's not keep Mr. Fortissimo waiting."
The lovers finally made it to the mech bay and saw Kaiser giving orders to several techs who quickly scattered as soon as he was finished. "And make sure that they are ready for testing!" he yelled. Then he turned in time to see Ceciel and Marcus walk up to him. "Well, are you ready to see what his and her majesty has prepared for you two?"
"Please! I hope that it's highly maneuverable!" stated an excited Ceciel.
"I hope mine is customized for close range or can be customized," added Marcus.
"Well then, just follow me." Kaiser led them past several rows of ZAFT's new Gespenst RT's, some of Orb's new Huckebein Mk. II's, and then past several new and original units that looked different that the rest of the units.
"What are those units?" Ceciel asked as she pointed towards a bulky red unit and the white unit next to it. "And why does that one look similar to the Huckebeins that we passed?"
Kaiser responded. "The red and white units are heavily modified versions of the basic Gespenst frame. The red one was intended to be the Gespenst Mk. III and a close range unit, but it was so overbalanced, overweight, and too costly to mass-produce. It saw action near the end of the last war, and it could only be piloted effectively by our Lt. Kyosuke Nanbu. As for the white one with blue edges, that one was supposed to be a speed version of the Gespenst Mk. II and Mk. III. But just like the red one, its cost was too high. The armor was sacrificed and larger thrusters attached to achieve the intended speeds. It ended up taking the role of high speed long range combat. If it was mass-produced, it could have been used by those that could handle high-G forces. It was the cost that killed it. Lt. Excellen Browning is the resident ace sniper and pilot of that unit. Both of these units are headed to Leviathan Base on Earth as reiforcements."
"Then what about that Huckebein lookalike? What's the story behind that one?"
"That unit is actually one of two units that was fitted with a Black Hole Engine. Due to an accident that resulted in major damage to our Technium Base, the 009A was refitted with an advanced Fusion reactor instead."
"A Black Hole Engine!? What happened to the second unit!?" exclaimed Ceciel.
"The second unit was recovered, repaired, and sealed. Several major parties were concerned that if activated a second time, it could result in the loss of more lives."
"Why wasn't this one sealed also?" questioned Marcus.
"Once the Black Hole Engine's reliability was questioned, techs quickly replaced the 009A's engine. After undergoing intense testing, it passed and was given to us for usage. The rumors go that the politicians don't want a 'cursed' twin unit near their bases, so they sent it to us. But its pilot, Tactician Latooni Subota, proved that the unit is just as capable and reliable as any other. Now come this way. Your units are just ahead."
As the trio approached a new hangar, what greeted them was impressing to say the least. A turquoise and white colored unit and a large, dark blue and white unit stood side by side. The first unit had eight fin-like devices on its shoulders, a triangular looking rifle in its right hand, another unique rifle in its left, and reinforced joints and sections. The other, looked like a Huckebein, but attached to a slightly larger exoskeleton geared towards what seemed like close range combat.
"Here are your units. Fresh from the factory. Ceciel, I present to you the Ashsaver Custom." Kaiser pointed towards the turquoise unit. "We heard about your awakening Newtype abilities so Lady Athha/Zala told us to give you the Custom version. It can utilize any and all equippable EA, Orb, and ZAFT packs like the standard version, but those fin-like devices on its shoulders are DRAGOONS. Since your abilities haven't fully awakened, its currently assisted by a DRAGOON Computer. This DRAGOON version is code-named 'Sword Breaker'. It is a massive improvement to the standard DRAGOONs. The triangular-looking rifle is the Halberd Launcher, otherwise known as a charged particle rifle. If it connects, it will do more damage than a Heavy Ion Cannon. You can 'rake' the beam if needed. The other neat looking rifle is known as the Gun Rapier. It's really a rapid firing energy machine-rifle. The shots look like micro comets, and it does more damage than a regular beam machinegun, while retaining the same firing speed. As a result, it will have a tendency to overheat if used continuously in warmer areas. In space and in regular to cooler temperatures, it will take a longer time for it to overheat. We recommend that you equip a supplementary cooling system to it if you have to enter hot and/or humid areas. For close in defense, it carries two built-in laser blades in both forearms. They are experimental but do more damage than a standard beam saber since they focus the energy into a tighter and more precise beam. Finally, four Fire Daggers, throw-able energy knives, are added as an afterthought. The unit can hold up to 12 if needed, but we noticed that you preferred long-range combat, so we will leave the final amount up to you."
Ceciel was rather surprised by the power that the unit contained. She was even more surprised at the fact that they knew that she had some newtype abilities. She was at a loss at what to say. "I... I... um... don't know what to say! This is amazing!" She just jumped up and down like a little girl.
Kaiser just turned to Marcus. "Your unit is the one in the exoskeleton. It's the Huckebein Mk. III/Boxer. The boxer parts are essentially an exoskeleton that greatly increases close combat abilities. It can transform into a giant surfboard for your unit, and you can ride it kamikaze style into an opponent. Damage will be done as physical and energy, as you ride a gravity wave of concentrated energy. The base unit itself has two equipped Lightning Sabers, basically electrified beam sabers, two Graviton Rifles, which is currently one of the most advanced Gravity using weapons, and four Fang Slashers, which are essentially four-bladed boomerangs. The Huckebein Mk. III series is the newest and latest series of the Huckebeins. It combines modularity with affordability. The Mk. III can also combine with an AM Gunner, which is an advanced high-speed mobile weapons platform equipped with 4 moderate G-Impact Cannons and missile launchers. It also has an Assault Backpack equipped if not docked with either the Gunner or Boxer. This unit is the first official unit off of the assembly line."
Marcus was just as impressed as Ceciel was. "Th-thank you!"
"Don't thank me, thank the Lord and Lady. They were the ones that assigned them to the both of you. Early battle testing to calibrate and optimize the systems will begin tomorrow at 1000 hours. This will also help you get used to the controls. For now, just adjust the initial controls to your liking. Until then." With that, Kaiser turned and left.
"Well, he's awfully cut and dry," stated Ceciel as she wrapped her arms around Marcus.
"I just think that he's had too much excitement for one day. Come on, let's adjust the controls of our new units now."
Seems a bit rushed. But, you know the drill by now.