*Updated version*
I do not own Gundam 00 or Vandread.
Enjoy.
The sun dipped low on the horizon as black clouds loomed above the barrens of a desolate planet. Corpses littered the landscape, all of which were rent open and sucked dry of their organs. All but one. One straggling survivor crawled through the bloodbath, out of breath and out of hope. Rising above him and casting a massive shadow, a crimson scaled beast slashed forwards with its talons, cleaving into the man's stomach as he let loose one final scream.
"AGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Ancient black and white paintings flashed onto the viewing screen, illustrating the decimation of a battalion of male astronauts by white haired devils.
"Women are monsters. And men were once their playthings. Eating our forefather's innards, sucking them dry."
The image changed to that very description.
"DESTRUCTION!"
Flash! Women raiders dragged numerous sacks of pillaged goods from a male outpost.
"OPPRESSION!"
"Over the centuries they have plundered our cities, they have cruelly oppressed our people with forced labor…"
Flash! Two females laughed maniacally as they cracked their whips across over a dozen male thralls.
"…And now that unspeakable horror is about to strike our empire once again!"
A collected gasp filled the dining room as the scene shifted to a field of graves crossing over the horizon, each a new home for a man butchered by women. Every one of the fresh recruits of the Ikazuchi was captivated and disgusted by the footage that accompanying the propaganda, shaking with primal rage. All except one raven haired boy.
Setsuna F. Seiei closed his eyes to the spectacle of lies, shaking with a different kind of rage. He slid within himself and turned the volume of the world to a bare minimum, preferring the emptiness of his mind to the Empire's "Suggestion."
He barely heard the dry robot voice of propaganda switch to the Admiral of the Ikazuchi. Squinting, Setsuna saw a bald man standing before the recruits, his dark blue uniform lined with medals. The Admiral declared the recruits before him will carry on the legacy of Grandpa, strike down their nemesis women, and, through a combination of the strength of the 2nd and 3rd generation and the blood flowing through them, man the battleship Ikazuchi to stamp out all piracy in the Taraak Empire.
"Enough time wasted! Why wait for the designated hour to arrive? Don't you agree with me, men?" Shouted the admiral as he stuck the air with his fist.
A collective cheer rang out; behind it all the order to launch the ship was given.
Setsuna slowly returned to the real world as the men around him roared like thunder, "Ikazuchi! Ikazuchi! Ikazuchi!"
Thunder did roar outside as the Ikazuchi began its launch into space, disengaging from the launch pad situated in the center of the Taraak Capital. Setsuna gave himself a warm smile as gravity slipped away.
"Phase one complete."
Another raven-haired boy was not so happy at the disappearance of gravity.
"Wait a sec – AHHHHHHHHH!"
Far below, the old man plowed his field, only stopping to watch his nephew disappear into the blackness of space.
"Cheers!"
With the battleship well on its way into space, the new recruits reveled in their full acceptance into the Taraak military. The elites shared food and drink among themselves, basking in the stupidity and pride that filled the room. Friendly toasts were passed around, to honor, to prestige, to male pride.
And through the midst of these claims, Setsuna stood alone, picking out the rumors slithering behind them.
"Where the hell did he come from?"
"No idea. I don't even remember him from the academy."
"I heard he skipped all the training sessions in the academy and got a perfect score on the final test."
"I heard he fought and killed a group of women single-handily out in the barrens."
Setsuna knew they were talking about him, and still he ignored it all. He was more annoyed with the ridiculous outfit he was wearing. He couldn't help but wonder why men could fear women yet wear uniforms that emphasized big hips.
"Hey! You look like a gentleman of distinction! How bout trying our companies new product?"
Setsuna suddenly noticed a blood recruit leaning a little to close towards him, brandishing a box of white and pink pills.
"Bart Garsus."
"Wow! You actually know me! I'm flattered!" Bart exclaimed delightfully, batting his big eyelashes, "How bout try some free food on me?"
Setsuna popped one of the pills into his mouth. Dry, chewy, but filling. Far better than anything he'd eaten in Krugis.
"Thank you."
"Well? Well? What do you think?" Bart pleaded like a puppy dog.
Setsuna apathetically fed him, "It's filling. Needs more flavor."
"Oh really? I'll have to make note of that," His face shined with pride as he took Setsuna's hand and squeezed it tightly, "Thank you so much! I don't care what anyone says about you, I'm glad to have you around."
Setsuna stared at his hand as the recruit danced off to his next customer. Before he could decide whether or not to slip out of the reception party, the lights dimmed.
"Gentlemen! Please direct your attention to the large screen!"
He did nothing of the sorts, preferring to lean against the wall and close his eyes.
Across the screen paraded an assortment of giant man shaped machines wielding some rather odd weapons. Scythes, spears, broadswords, axes, elbow knives, elbow chainsaws, just to name a few. Cloudy white, the "Tsukumo Version Van-type Fighter" lethargically trudged across battlefields, shrugging off artillery fire as they "slammed the fist of justice down upon Taraak's enemies."
Setsuna grunted silently to himself. He'd read all the data pertaining to Taraak's weaponry the previous night. Bulky and sluggish, the vanguards were no larger than a typical mobile suit. Layered with thick armor, they could take a beating but were as agile as a rock. As melee units, they were pretty poor, no better for target practice then space combat.
Setsuna felt an odd sense of joy when he noticed Bart's own distaste for the machines. However, something about the ceremony caused him to move forward through the crowd. Whether it was curiosity or instinct, he did not know as he moved to Bart's side.
"How 'bout a great round of applause for our fleet of Tsukumo version, Van-type Fighters!?"
The sheep followed their shepherd's call, bahhing as the curtain opened to reveal a hangar filled with the vanguards. They fell silent when they notice a black haired third-class citizen hanging from the torso of a vanguard. Garbed in an orange vest and baggy black work pants, the commoner stared dumbly at the crowd.
"What are you doing?" howled the Admiral, a vein erupting from his forehead, "GET THAT BOY!"
One guard raced towards the boy, shouting, but was knocked on his face as the boy used him to soften his fall. Other guards rallied around him, waving batons while he leapt onto the stature sitting before the hangar. The statue of Lord Grandpa.
Cheers and laughter rose up from the recruits as the young man outmaneuvered the guards.
"Go for it, Shorty!" Bart shouted right next to Setsuna's ear. He stepped away from the blond when the intruder lunged over the guards towards him.
He landed with a thud, face red and teeth grinding, "Who the hell was the one who just called me Shorty?"
No one answered when the guards piled atop of him and beat him stupid with their batons. However, the recruits did laugh when he was dragged away, happy that they were provided with dinner and a show.
Setsuna hid his emotions behind a wall of stone, churning with irritation towards Hibiki Tokai. Silently, he wished he was in Tieria's position, however humiliating it may be.
3 days prior…
"Goddamn it! I hate wearing these things!"
Tieria threw his sports bra down, tired of trying to entrap his breasts in a cage. He glanced down either side of the locker room to make sure no one had heard. All clear.
Sighing, he picked the bra back up and tried again. He pushed out his gut this time but he breasts did not budge.
"Damn it all," he mumbled, "Aeolia Schenberg clearly was a pervert when he uploaded the biological specs for me. Goddamn strap! Goddamn rever—"
"Need help?"
Tieria jumped. Whirling around, he reaching into his locker for his pistol, dropping his bra in the process. His hand stopped on the silver grip.
Before him stood a golden haired vixen garbed in a long black gown, small enough and trimmed enough to unveil a mass of cleavage. For a moment he thought she was wearing nothing but a black towel, least, until he realized she was staring at his breasts.
"Impressive."
"Ahh!" Tieria screamed, his face bright red as he dropped into the fetal position.
"No need to get scared," assured the vixen as she danced behind Tieria, "You should be proud of your body. No reason to hide it. Its not like anyone here's going to hurt you."
Tieria didn't know why he reacted that way. Maybe it was how women would react in his era, insecure about being so exposed, or maybe it was all the goddamn estrogen. He cursed Setsuna for getting the easy assignment.
"Here, let me help you," the blond chided gently as she pulled Tieria back to his feet, "Names Jura. What's yours?"
"Tieria Erde," he responded, comforted by the blond's gentle voice.
"Tieria…how lovely," Jura brushed aside Tieria's long purple locks smoothly, "What does it mean?"
"Earth, like the planet we came from."
"Hmm…" Jura hummed as she snapped the bra in place. "There you go! All done." She danced around to see Tieria's face, flashing a beautiful cherry smile. "Tieria. You're the new recruit, aren't you? The one from the research lab?"
"Yes." Tieria kept himself calm and collected, faking the wounded soldier response.
"That must have been terrible. How did a scientist survive such an ordeal? I heard the men broke through the hull in a matter of minutes."
"Its true." Tieria feigned heartache, his voice full of spite and eyes full of hatred. "Boarding parties poured through the hangar like locust, gunning down each line of defense as if they were paper dolls."
He breathed in slowly, fortifying his mask. "I was in running a system check on the GN-Arms when they began the assault. Like I said, the first place they attacked was the hangar. I had to do something. I had to stop the killings."
"But you are just a scientist. You are not expected to handle such situations."
Tieria's voice was torn with spite, "I may just be a scientist, but I'm also a Women." He breathed in again. I'd like to thank the academy. "I activated the battle system and just kept fire shots from the GN Cannons. I remember my fingers going numb before I realized that there was no one left.
"I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't handle it.
"I launched out of the hangar and bombarded any male ship I could see. They just kept coming and coming. By the time I'd pushed them away from the station, it was already gone."
"And then we showed up," Jura mumbled.
"And then you showed up." Tieria repeated, empty water slipping from his eyes. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you!"
"Shh…" Jura pulled Tieria close to her, resting his head on her shoulder. "It's all right. It's all right. You're with friends now. You're not alone."
"Thank you." Tieria cried. I'd like to thank my family for all their support.
"Now, lets not talk of sad things any longer. It's time you spoil yourself," Jura squeezed his hand and handed him a towel. "Lets head down to the sauna and let the girls smooth all your worries away."
"Thank you." Tieria cried one last time before reassuring Jura with a cheap smile. I'd like to thank God for all the opportunities he's given me.
"Tieria Erde I presume."
Jura nearly jumped out of her skin as the aqua-haired Amazon appeared behind her. Tieria, on the other hand, was as extremely calm.
"Yes, that's me."
"Captain has asked me to escort you to the Briefing Room. She didn't say why."
"Oh, come on Meia! Can't it wait? Our new friend needs time to rest," Jura whined, hands tiny against her jumbo hips.
"Caption's orders," Meia responded, giving no ground.
"I'll be fine Jura," Tieria patted his new friend on the shoulder, their roles reversed.
"You sure?"
"Yah, just wait for me in the sauna."
"Alright, but be careful. The Commander is very cautious around newcomers," Jura chided.
The Amazonian possible transsexual and Innovator definite transsexual marched through the halls silently, neither seeing any reason to talk. Though Meia didn't show it or understand it, she definitely didn't trust the newcomer. The feeling was mutual, Tieria unsure if the Dread leader was stable, his quantum brainwaves picking up a pinch on her heart.
The Briefing Room consisted of an oval shaped table with a 3D projector in the center. Tieria was surprised to find only five members sitting around it. On the right sat a young brunette sporting both huge glasses and pigtails. Next to her was a lean and muscular older woman wearing a metallic headband and large beads to hold her hair in a ponytail. Meia took her place on the left next to a silver-haired vixen dressed in a dark blue dress. In the center of the two groups sat the Captain, a wrinkly old woman hidden with in a large brown cloak. Tieria was almost sure he'd met the old crone at one point; again, another mutual feeling.
"Welcome Tieria Erde." The Captain spoke just as sincerely as Jura had, "Please, have a seat. I hope my crew has made you feel at home."
"They have." Tieria responded, flashing another fake smile. I'd like to thank….
"I was hoping you could tell us what exactly you were researching before you joined our crew, if that isn't to much."
"Not at all. Where would you like me to begin?"
"How about that fighter you were piloting? Or that huge robot inside it?" the brunette chirped up gleefully.
"Parfette! Control yourself!" Shouted the silver-haired one at her subordinate.
"Sorry Commander," Parfet apologized as she hung her head in shame. Turning to Tieria she bowed and said, "Sorry."
"It's alright. It's natural to be curious about those machines of mine." And so he began. He lied about how the GN Drive was a new breakthrough power source he'd discovered while sifting through old research notes on Mejare. Not long later he'd was contacted by a group of scientists who were developing weapons for the Mejare military. It was there he applied his GN Drive to schematics of a new Taraak weapon: Vanguards. From there on he designed the very first Mejare mobile suit, Gundam Seraphim, and the first mobile armor, the GN Arms.
"We were able to develop two more GN Drives, however, compared to the first these two are unique," Tieria declared, finally speaking the truth, "To put it simply, they are like twins. No matter what machine we implemented them into neither would reach even fifty percent production level.
"So, after searching deeper into the records, we discovered the theoretical Twin-Drive system. Based around it, we designed a mobile suit that could only be powered by two drives with compatible GN particle production. The results were unbelievable.
"The project became known as the Double-O Gundam. Rather than 'double' the production of particles, it squared it. As a result, it moved faster than any known cruiser, making it the perfect unit for high speed combat. Also, at full output it could have destroyed the entire station single-handedly."
The Commander stopped him there, asking, "If this machine was so powerful, why did you not use it during the assault?"
The Captain would have chastised her for such an insensitive question, but was also curious.
"There were…irregularities involved with the system. At full output the Gundam ran the risk of causing an emergency shutdown. Suffice to say, it was to unstable for anything but suicide missions."
"Why are you wasting our time telling us about this?" Meia rudely asked.
"It explains why the men attacked us," Tieria answered as he glared back at the Amazon. "The higher ups were unpleased with our results and were ready to scrap the project if we couldn't stabilize Double-O. After experimenting with the GN-Arms, we designed an off shot from it. We named it the O-Raiser. Once docked with Gundam 00 it condenses and stabilizes the Twin Drive system.
"That's when they appeared. Somehow the Taraak military had caught onto are little operation and launched a full-scale assault on the station. You know what happened from there," Tieria finished with a sharp breathe.
The room remained silent for several moments before the Captain sighed slowly.
"So, is it safe to assume that the military has this 00 Gundam?" She asked with a hint of fear.
"Sadly, yes."
The muscular woman threw in her two cents, "And if it is as powerful as you say the Empire will be able to stamp out all opposition. Whether it be it Mejare or us."
Again, another spell of silence was enacted, and, again, the Captain broke it with a sigh.
"BC," She glanced at the Commander, "find out if Taraak has made any plans to start another major war."
"Right away, Captain!" BC replied, quickly getting up and leaving the room.
"Gascogne. I need you and Meia to go over our supplies. I want to know how quickly we can begin raiding deeper into Taraak space."
"Roger." The Amazon and stocky woman responded in unison, leaving for the Registry.
"Tieria, I know this is much to ask, but I need you to explain everything you know about these GN Drives and Gundams to our engineer Parfet her," The Captain asked as she nodded to the young woman. "I believe you above all others understand how dangerous it is to leave that creation of yours in the hands of men."
"I'd be happy to help you Captain in any way I can."
"Thank you. Dismissed."
As Parfet and Tieria left the room, he silently thought to himself, "Phase 1 complete."
Setsuna stared at his assortment of tools that layered the locker room floor: his combat knife and sharpening stone, his pistol and spare bullets, and dozens of silver cubes. GN mines. Tieria had whipped them up at Setsuna's request and was extremely thorough in his designs.
At the center of each was a miniature, mock GN Drive surrounded by an inch of Gundamium alloy. Upon activation they released a series of pulses in a three foot radius, and, if disturbed, pressurized the particles before cracking its own casing. Such unstable little things could melt a teen foot radius.
Setsuna did not feel comfortable using mock GN Drives, recalling the numerous effects of overexposure on one's DNA. However, he'd made sure to place his first batch as far away from populated sections of the ship as possible. Also, they were all remote activated, so if everything went to plan, no one would be around when he set them off.
The Krugis youth sat silently alone, listening to the sounds of the ship. He could hear the numerous footsteps, numerous soldiers at their workstations. The recruits were still high off their acceptance but had retired to their quarters until orders were relayed.
Beyond, he could hear the echoes of space. So perfect, he thought, so calming.
Too bad it wouldn't last much longer.
Rising from his trance Setsuna dawned his pilot uniform: a tight black and blue flight suit and Gundanium body armor to protect his chest. He wrapped a large belt with small hooks around his waist, holstering his pistol and hooking the mines in place. Reaching into the locker he pulled out a syringe filled with a silver liquid.
Taking a deep breath, he drove the needle directly into a scar on his right shoulder and pushed the plunger in. He dropped to his knees suddenly as the nanites flooded his system, pain wracking his bones as his pulse quickened. It passed after a moment and he rose again.
Flexing his hand, he could feel the change. One of the mines flared to life, flashing a dull red light. He quickly straightened his hand and the light died. Sighing, he recalled Tieria's instructions.
"The nanites react to physical, neurological and emotional responses. If any is stressed they will act according to ensuring your safety, though knowing you that may not be in your best interests. Luckily for you, your overexposure to GN particles will actually come in handy.
"Basically, the nanites in your system cause your thoughts to "echo." If there is a GN Drive in the area they'll respond to your thoughts."
"So I can control a mobile suit without being in the cockpit?" He recalled asking.
"Exactly, but the stress to your mind is deadly. Better to focus just on little things, like system or weapons checks, nothing to straining. But again, knowing you, you'll probably jump at the opportunity to test these things."
Tieria is probably right, Setsuna thought. Again he stretched his mind out into the ship. A jubilee of voices filled his mind and he pushed them away. One however did catch his ears.
"God damn it all! Why'd I have to make that stupid bet? Why do I have to be so god damn impulsive?"
The voice came from a storage room on the east side of the ship. Setsuna made note of it and pushed towards the hangar for the Vanguards. Feeling along the walls he found small notch at the back of the room. The wall was hollow. Figures, he thought. They never thought to inspect the old section of the ship for it. Fools.
He sent an echo beyond the wall, and, in response, a low humming resonated back. It was calming, like a light piano sonnet. Stable, he thought. Good.
Returning to his body Setsuna looked at his data pad. One minute left. He looked around the locker room one last time before heading into the hall.
"Setsuna F. Seiei, beginning armed intervention." He muttered as he dawned his helmet and made way to the storage area. The ship shook violently as a barrage of missiles detonated across the shields, awakening the crew to the reality of war. It was unpredictable.
Tieria sat silently in the GN Arms, patiently waiting for his time to launch. Magno's pirates were only a matter of minutes away from intercepting the Ikazuchi and he wanted to be the first on to board the vessel.
Jur'a face flickered on to his monitor, pouty and pig-faced.
"Something wrong?"
"You jerk!" She barked, "I waited for two whole hours at the sauna! I blew off getting my nails done! Now they are all scaly and cracked!"
Tieria could only raise an eyebrow. "The Captain had me explain to Parfet everything about GN Drives. I'm sorry I didn't make it, but that girl was very insistent about getting under the hood of Seravee."
"Still! You could have sent someone to tell me you wouldn't show up!" The pig growled.
"Again. I'm sorry," now he really meant it. "Look…if you want…I'll give you a massage after the raid."
"Oh my god! OMG! OMG! That's perfect!" The pig became a kitten." I love you I love you I love you!"
Tieria regretted saying anything at all now.
"All pilots! Prepare for sortie!" The Commander rallied with a shout. "2 minutes until the Ikazuchi is in view."
"We'll make plans for a another trip to the sauna later." Jura joyfully proclaimed.
"Alight. Keep safe." Tieria said before switching on his weapon system and making sure the GN Drive was stable. He felt the calming warmth as the GN particles flowed through the air.
"Tieria, you will be the first to launch," Meia stated over the comm channel.
"Roger."
At his beckoning, the GN Arms slid out of its restraints, hovering in the center of the hangar. Tieria fastened his hands around the joysticks for either wing and maneuvered so the ship so it faced the hangar doors. With the slight pressure of his index finger the GN Arms jettisoned out of the pirate ship and into the blackness of space.
A small image flashed on his monitor, showing a massive, dull grey battleship cruising through space. Unlike the battleships of his era, the Ikazuchi was basically a giant box with slightly smaller wings that were slanted at the ends. He saw hangar doors on either side and cautiously edged towards them.
To his surprise, they were locked shut. Strange, he thought, did they cancel the exhibition match? No matter.
"Tieria Erde, beginning armed intervention!" He shouted before unleashing a barrage of GN missiles from either wing his ship.
"What did she just say?" Amaone asked the bridge crew.
"I got no idea," Belvedere Coco scoffed. "You know those military scientists. They're all nutty."
"Armed intervention, eh?" The Captain rolled those words on her tongue questionably.
*Preview*
"Hibiki Tokei?"
"Ye-Yes!" The young man stammered as he stared down the barrel of the gun. 'Oh God not this way. Not this way.'
"Come with me if you wanna live," Blue suit said as he holstered his pistol and held out his hand.
Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter should be up by Monday.
Happy Suicide Day Number 2 everyone. (Seriously, hope you all have a good Valentine's day.)