Yo everybody! Got two chapters for you all today.
Disclaimer: Kevin Hunter Jr. belongs to SOLDIER-MS. Not me. Like how he is using John in his story, I'm using one of his OCs. Of course, with my own little twist on him.
"I'll destroy all of you!! RAAAAAGH!!!" Kevin Hunter Jr.
Mobile Suit Serial Number: GAT-X151 'Massacre'
Unit Type: Prototype heavy assault mobile suit
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery
Special Equipment: Trans-Phase Armor
Armament: 4x 'Igelstellung' 75mm anti-air vulcan gun, mounted in head, 2x 'Reaver' Gatling guns, fire-linked, mounted within the chest, 1x 'Ragnarok' 100mm energy cannon, mounted within head crest, 4x six-barrel missile pod, mounted on the side of the shins and thighs, 2x eight-barrel missile pod, mounted in shoulders, 2x 'Fenrir' twin barrel energy Gatling gun, hand carried, equipped with individual batteries, 2x 'Gram' beam sabers, mounted behind shoulders
Pilot: Kevin Hunter Jr
Appearance: Appearance wise, it resembles the Heavyarms Kai of Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, save with a larger crest on top of the head, a slightly longer V emblem on the forehead, larger flight pack on the back, two large saber hilts, like the Double Zeta's, mounted on the flight pack and two spikes on the shoulders.
Colors: Almost entirely dark red with black trim. Dark gray thighs, biceps, and face. Black shoulder spikes and saber hilts.
Info: The fourth of the Earth Alliance's new Gundams, the Massacre was designed for heavy, frontline assaults. Equipped with heavy weapons for mid to close range, it is, like it's counterparts, a terror to face in combat. Especially in the hands of a Biological CPU like Kevin Hunter. The two Fenrir twin energy Gatling guns have their own batteries to prevent the pilot from draining all of the mobile suit's battery power in a wild, frenzied barrage on enemy units. When those guns run out of power and the Reaver Gatling guns run out of ammo, the pilot discards the Fenrir guns and draws the Gram beam sabers, which possess much longer, crimson blades, and continues to fight.
Author's Notes: Technically, this doesn't entirely belong to me. As I used the Massacre of SOLDIER-MS as the base of it and kept what he wanted the MS to have in the way of weapons. Unlike the one in his story, which was more or less a general purpose machine, I felt that the fourth new MS of the EA, should serve a specific role. As the Raider (transformable, airborne MS), the Forbidden (close-combat, underwater MS) and the Calamity (long range, artillery MS) did. So I turned it into one of the few remaining types of MS. A mid to close range, heavy assault/shock trooper MS. And so I basically merged it with the Heavyarms Kai from Gundam Wing.
Phase Twenty-One: In The Name Of Justice
Thirteen Kilometers from the JOSH-A Crater
Kira had pulled the injured GINN pilot from his damaged mobile suit and laid him out on the beach. The pilot was badly wounded. A piece of shrapnel had lodged itself in his abdomen, and his breathing was slow and labored as if he had to work to take every breath. Kira wasn't sure if he was going to survive. The pilot opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the pilot and his mobile suit behind him. He stared at the brown haired boy. "Were you... the pilot of that... white mobile suit?" he weakly asked between breaths.
"Yes. Now hold on. I'm gonna get you some help," Kira told him.
The pilot could only smile sadly at the boy's kindness, but he already knew his own fate. "You...should have....left me there...Would...have been...quicker..." The pilot let out one last breath before the life drained from his eyes and his body went limp. Death had taken him.
Kira punched the ground in frustration and sorrow as soon as the ZAFT pilot drew his last breath of life. He had saved the pilot from the Cyclops only to watch him die from his injuries. It was another casualty, another man claimed by the grim reaper, in this whole meaningless war. There was nothing more he could do for the man. Kira stood up and walked down the hill the Freedom and the GINN stood and towards the members of the Archangel's crew gathering beside the warship.
The crew all watched him, some even stared at him, as he approached them from the top of the hill, most of them unsure if he was really there at all. Some believed they stared at the host of one of their most cherished comrade and friend.
A small smile crossed his lips. "I guess I made it just in time," he said trying to break the silence and the awkward glances he was receiving from familiar faces.
"Is it really you Kira?" Murrue asked, her voice shaky as if she was almost afraid that he would disappear at that moment.
Kira nodded as his smile widened a bit. "Yeah. It's me."
"Kira!" Miriallia shouted as she ran towards him with tears of joy rolling down her face. She hugged him as the other crew members gathered around him. They patted him on the back and shoulders as they gave him joyful greetings and thanks for saving them again. Someone even asked him if was alive or a ghost.
"It seems that you aren't an easy person to kill," John said as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"It's good to see you're still among the living, Kira. If you hadn't come when you did, we probably wouldn't have made it out of there."
"It was nothing," Kira replied embarrassed at the praise he was given from the older man.
John chuckled at his reaction. "Always the humble one."
Kira glanced passed the group around him and saw Chris, Liz, Sai and Kuzzey stood back from the group but all four were smiling at him. Kira walked away from the group gathered around him and headed for the four of them.
Sai was the first to speak. "It's good to see you, Kira."
"Yeah!" Liz started. "You have any idea how worried we were?"
"Ah... Sorry." Kira said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ignore her," Chris said. "We're all just happy to see you alive."
Kira smiled a little and then turned towards Murrue and Mu. Now that everyone has confirmed he was alive, it was time to start answering questions they probably have for him. And he needed to know what their intentions are as well. "I suppose you have a couple million questions for me."
"No. Just a million," Mu said jokingly as he tried to lighten the mood.
Kira almost smiled. If there was one person that could make conversations easier to deal with, it was the commander. "Well, I have plenty of questions for guys as well."
Mu nodded. "Yeah. Well, a lot has happened." He paused as if unsure of the answer he was about to get. "So... Are you with ZAFT now?"
Kira momentarily stared at the commander like he was crazy before he remembered he was wearing a ZAFT flightsuit. "No. I was in the PLANTs for a while, but I haven't joined ZAFT," Kira answered but continued, "However, I'm no longer with the Earth Forces, either."
This reply caused a few to gasp while others became confused. Only their captain, Murrue Ramius, understood what he meant and nodded. "I understand. There's somethings we'll have to talk about," she started as she glanced at the winged mobile suit. "First, this machine of yours. What should we do with that?"
Kira's face turned serious at this point. "If you're talking about maintenance and resupplying, there's no need for that right now. Because this machine is equipped with a Neutron Jammer Canceler."
Everyone was stunned by this revelation. Everyone had believed that the N-Jammers effects couldn't be canceled out, but there some among the group that weren't feeling shock. There were those that felt fear and horror at the N-Jammer Canceler and what it could mean for the war. The return of nuclear weapons was something they were all not looking forward to if it appears that way.
"N-Jammer Canceler?" Mu asked just as stunned as everyone else.
"You mean this machine is nuclear powered?" Jackie Tonomura asked. He just couldn't believe it but there in front of him stood the Freedom as proof.
"Wow. Where'd you get this thing Kira?" Chandra asked.
This was exactly what Kira wanted to avoid. "If you start asking about specifics, you're not going to get anything from me and I'll have to leave," Kira warned them and silenced any further questions they might have had. "And even if I had to fight you, I wouldn't let you take it from me. I was entrusted with it and I will take care of it." For a second, he saw the image of the pink haired songstress in the back of his mind, but he soon snapped out of it.
The captain only sighed understandingly. "Very well then. You have my word that no one will touch your machine or the equipment inside." Murrue turned to the rest of the crew standing behind her. "Is that clear?!"
The crew all nodded or said "Yes."
This seemed to please Kira. "Thank you for understanding."
"Well then," Mu began. "We should probably finish this up inside."
Kira nodded. "Yeah. I guess so."
"Before we go, Kira, I need you to do something for me," John said.
Kira eyed the man warily. "What?"
"Take the Farsight from the Archangel's hull and lay it out on the beach," he solemnly replied after seeing the way the boy reacted. "It's been damaged beyond our ability to repair it, even if we cannibalize that other GINN. I need to dispose of it properly."
Kira glanced at the damaged mobile suit still stranded on the hull. The way the older man said his request made it seem like he was saying goodbye to a friend. The boy could only nod. "I understand."
It didn't take very long for the Freedom to carry the crippled GINN off of the Archangel and lay it out on the beach a safe distance from the warship. The Freedom stepped away from the machine as John pulled out a detonator from his coat pocket. Kira knew what he was planning and he couldn't help but feel the magnitude of how much emotion John must be feeling right now.
"So long, Farsight. You've been a truly great comrade," John said as he pushed the button on the detonator and watched as his mobile suit began its self destruct sequence.
The Farsight's exploded in a great fireball, leaving only a smoldering wreckage behind. John brushed a lone tear from his eye. The Farsight wasn't his first mobile suit, but it was the one he had piloted the longest ever since he was first given the command of the 11th Fleet, in fact. He had grown very attached to it, and it saddened him to see the Farsight destroyed. However, it had been too badly damage to repair. Even had he still been a member of ZAFT and had access to their parts and supplies, most mechanics would tell him that he's better off getting a new machine than taking all the time and money to fix it up. So in the end, he had no other choice but to give the Farsight it's funeral pyre. John raised his hand, saluting his destroyed machine, his friend, and comrade.
The Archangel's Bridge
A Short While Later
"So that was their strategy?" Kira asked once Mu had explained what happened, though, it sounded more like a statement than a question.
"From what we can tell," Mu replied.
"And they decided not to tell us a thing about it," Murrue added.
"It's obvious that Alliance Command knew ahead of time that ZAFT's true target was Alaska, and for quite some time, or they wouldn't have been able to set the Cyclops under the base like that," John included. Naturals weren't the best hackers when it comes to cracking codes made by Coordinators so there was only one other way they had known about this. "Someone tipped them off."
Kira recalled when he first learned of the attack on Alaska. It was back in the PLANTs when he was with Lacus Clyne and her father. "The ZAFT Supreme Council didn't know either."
John was stunned by this. "What? Then that can only mean that the one who informed them was high up. Very high up. High enough that it would be impossible for a spy from the Earth Alliance to achieve such a rank. But that would mean that they were someone in ZAFT that wanted this massacre to happen." Then the realization hit him and his eyes widened. "My God...That means...That means I was right!"
Everyone stared at the man. They did not get the picture and he wasn't explaining himself. "What do you mean?" Kira asked. "Right about what?"
John sighed. "It's long, long story. And if I'm right, which I pray I'm not, then this war just took a turn for the worst in more ways than one. But at the moment, I need to verify a few things first before I can say for certain. I don't know what you're planning, but depending on what it is, I may ask for one of the Sky Graspers so I can get in touch with some of my contacts and find out what exactly has happened."
"That raises another question. Just what are we going to do now?" Chris asked.
"Now..." Murrue said, uncertain of her own answer.
"We haven't been able to raise Command due the interference from the N-Jammers," Romeo informed her. "Should we make repairs on our own and head for Panama?"
"Oh really? And you think they'll be happy to see us?" Mu sarcastically said. "We know far too much for our own good."
"They'll probably say that we disobeyed orders and deserted in the face of the enemy. They'd court marshal us and then lock us up," Murrue added, angry at the whole situation all of them were caught up in. "It's becoming harder and harder to understand who and what we're fighting for."
It was at that moment, Lacus's words echoed in his mind. He understood what he needed to do and it was time for them to realize as well. "Miss Murrue. What is it that you think we should be fighting against? To end this war?" Kira asked. "Whatever it is, I believe that it's time for us to start fighting against it."
She stared at him before saying, "I don't know. I honestly don't know. But at the moment, it isn't with the Earth Forces." The Earth Alliance wouldn't welcome them back, and she wouldn't be surprised if ZAFT was still coming after them. There was one other place she could think of and it isn't too far from their current location. "Set course for Orb. We'll see if they're willing to help us."
"Good idea. If they're not willing to help us, then I should be able to contact the Junk Guild to lend us a hand with repairs," John said.
"Any other suggestions?" Murrue asked the people gathered on the bridge but none said anything. "Very well then. Set course for Orb."
ZAFT Central Command
Aprilius One
Athrun walk through the command center after passing through numerous ZAFT officers that were frantically rushing to get some scope on the situation. Athrun's old instructor, Commander Yuri, had told him what happened. Operation Spitbreak had failed. Actually, failed wasn't a strong enough word for it. They had been virtually wiped out.
But that hadn't been all. Apparently, Lacus Clyne had betrayed them by helping a spy steal a new prototype mobile suit. Athrun couldn't believe it. Lacus betraying them? Impossible. Lacus would never do such a thing. She was the beloved songstress of the PLANTs and a strong peace advocate. Handing over a new weapon to the Earth Forces would only prolong the war, something he knew Lacus would never want to happen.
Athrun entered the office of the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman and saluted. His father was at his desk discussing matters with a group ZAFT officers.
"They used a Cyclops System. We found the remains of a large array under what's left of the base," one officer informed.
"What of Le Creuset?" Patrick Zala asked.
"He's with the group of survivors heading for Carpentaria but he hasn't officially reported in yet."
"When he reaches Carpentaria, I want a full report from him," his father ordered.
"Yes sir," the officer said, saluting.
Another officer entered the room. "Sir. Eileen Canaver and Ian Kessel are requesting an emergency meeting on JOSH-A. They've gathered in the meeting chamber."
Patrick scowled slightly at the mention of Kessel's name. He was getting a migraine and it didn't help that more problems arose to complicate things more. "I need an objective assessment on the situation," he said, ignoring the new arrival. "How many we lost, estimates on our remaining fighting strength, and where the hell is the Clyne family?!"
The officer nearly flinched at their chairman's outburst and almost stuttered his response. "W-we don't know, Sir. It appears that Clyne had an escape route prepared in advance. It may take some time to find them."
"Inform the Justice Department. Eileen Canaver, Ian Kessel, and the other council members that supported Clyne are to be detained immediately!"
"But sir-"
"Lacus Clyne was seen consorting with a spy. Now she and her father are missing and the plans to Operation Spitbreak's true target were leaked to the enemy!" Patrick said, slamming his fists on the desk angrily. "It's obvious even to a child what happened! Clyne betrayed us! Now that bastard Kessel and the others are demanding answers from me! They're the ones to blame! Yes...In fact, they're probably the ones that are hiding them! Of course! That's the only explanation!"
Athrun was stunned by this order. His father had just removed virtually everyone on the Council that weren't his supporters. He may not know about politics completely, but this isn't something a Chairman should do with their power and authority.
The officers nodded and walked out of the office, leaving Athrun with his father. For the first time in his life, he felt nervous standing in front of him. His father sat back down on his chair, rubbing his forehead as Athrun walked up to the desk. "Father," he said.
"What did you call me?" his father growled. He was not in the best of moods.
Athrun flinched and quickly corrected himself. "My apologies, Supreme Council Chairman Zala."
Patrick Zala stared at his son with cold eyes. "Do you understand how serious the situation is?"
"Yes... But still. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Lacus aiding a spy? It's just not possible."
"Look at this," his father said, pushing a button on his desk. A panel on the wall opened and revealed a large screen. The image of mobile suit appeared. It was the very same mobile suit that flew passed his shuttle as he was heading back to the PLANTs. Standing before the machine were two people with their backs to the camera. The first was a brown haired person in a ZAFT Red Coat uniform. He couldn't recognize this guy, but he felt a sense of familiarity from him. Next to him was a girl in a dress with pink hair. The girl turned to face the camera seconds before the feed was cut. There was no doubt about who it was. It was Lacus.
"This was taken by a security camera at a military factory. The Freedom was stolen immediately after this was taken. Why would anyone accuse her unless the evidence was beyond dispute? You may think it's not possible, but these are the facts. It goes without saying that you're engagement to Lacus Clyne is over. It hasn't officially announced, but she's being treated as a fugitive wanted for treason."
Athrun grimaced. Treason... He had hoped that it was mistake or some nightmare or even some kind of bad joke! Or that it was an impostor posing as Lacus, but there was no denying it now. She had helped a spy steal a new, prototype mobile suit.
"Your next mission will be to recover the stolen X10A Freedom and eliminate the pilot as well as all persons and places that he might have come in contact with," his father said, turning off the screen. "Pick up the X09A Justice from the Armory and leave as soon as the preparations are complete. If the Freedom cannot be recovered, you are authorized to destroy it."
His father's orders surprised him. Eliminating the pilot, he understood, but eliminating all that came into contact with it as well? "Eliminating everyone and everything that it came in contact with? Isn't that a little extreme?" he asked.
"Those machines, the X09A Justice and X10A Freedom, are equipped with Neutron Jammer Cancelers."
Athrun's face became white. "They have N-Jammer Cancelers?! Impossible!" Athrun said, horrified at the secret of the new machines. "Why did you build them?! The PLANTs made the decision to abandon nuclear technology!"
"If we want to win this war, then we'll need that power," Patrick replied as he pushed the call button summoning a member of his staff. "Your mission is extremely important. Give it your utmost effort. Now go."
ZAFT Supreme Council Meeting Chamber
A group of armed soldiers entered the council chamber. "What is the meaning of this?" Eileen demanded.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the officer said. "But you, Councilers Kessel, Kasim, Jesek, and Elsman are to be placed under arrest by orders of Chairman Zala."
Many council members were stunned. Patrick Zala was arresting all of those that had opposed him and his supporters. Removing any opposition to Patrick Zala's faction and making him the undisputed ruler of ZAFT.
Ian chuckled from his seat. "So...Zala must either be desperate or insane to pull such a stunt. He's forced my hand, so I shall force his, " he mumbled and stood up, reaching into the pocket of his coat.
All of the soldiers aimed their rifles at him. "Do me a favor. Tell Patrick Zala, that he's gone too far this time and that I'll be coming for him. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But make no mistake, I'm coming for him," he said, pulling his hand out of his pocket.
Two the surprise of everyone in the room, he held his hand up at the soldiers, holding it like a mock gun. Before anyone could react, two of the ZAFT soldiers in the rear of the group, Clyne supporters, secretly dropped a pair of smoke grenades in their group. The smoke grenades went off filling the room with smoke. Chaos reined as everyone tried to figure out what happened. There was the sound of footsteps, punches, and bodies hitting the ground. When the smoke cleared and everyone could see again, four guards, including the two that dropped the grenades, were unconscious on ground and Ian was gone. "Dammit!" the officer swore. "Don't let him escape! Find him!"
Ian Kessel entered his office with his assistant. Sitting on his chair was a ZAFT officer's uniform, a pair of sunglasses and a blond, men's wig. He quickly changed and handed his clothes to his assistant. "Hide these and get out of here," he told the young woman.
"Yes sir." She nodded before leaving.
Ian pulled out a suitcase from under his desk and pulled out for his cell phone. "It's me. Zala's arrested Clyne's supporters on the Council. Fortunately, my escape plan so far has gone off without a hitch. Warn my wife about what's happened. And my daughter as soon as possible. If I'm not at the meeting spot in two hours, then I've been caught. Until then." He closed the phone and left his office.
The whole building was in an uproar. Soldiers were searching for him. They clearly thought that only an idiot would return to their office after that stunt and they had only just now decided to check his office. "Sir, what were you doing in there?" one of the several soldiers present asked.
"What does it look like?" he said, lowering the tone of his voice to sound different. "A possible spy is on the loose and I was ordered to search his office for an incriminating evidence which is what I found. I must get these documents to the Justice Department. Now! Or would you like to be the one to tell Chairman Zala that you've been holding up an investigation into the traitors within our own government?"
"No sir. Sorry sir!" the soldier nervously stuttered as he and his comrades stepped aside.
Ian walked past them. 'So far, so good. Let's hope I don't run into any soldiers that have a backbone,' he thought as he headed for the exit.
Lodonia Extended Laboratory
A car with tinted windows approached the gates of the large facility. The car stopped at the gates and a guard approached the driver's door as the window rolled down. The driver silently handed the guard a piece of paper. The man read the paper, nodded and handed it back. "They're expecting the Director at the main building," he told the driver. "It's the large building in the center of the facility."
The gates opened and the car headed for the largest building in the facility. The car pulled off alongside the main entrance and the rear passenger door opened. A blond haired man in a powder blue suit stepped out. A lone dark haired man in a lab coat was waiting for him outside the entrance.
"Ah...Director Azrael. Welcome to Lodonia. We've been expecting you," the Head Doctor of the facility politely greeted him. "I trust that your trip was pleasant."
"Please Dr. Andras, I'm short on time, so if we could skip the pleasantries today," Muruta Arael said.
"Of course. You're here for the Biological CPU Project, correct?"
"Yes. We have four new machines to use against the Coordinators, but no suitable pilots for them," Azrael said. "I trust that you have at least four CPUs that I can use."
"We have more than four ready for combat, but I'll give the top four," Dr. Andras said. "Come. I'll show you."
Dr. Andras lead Azrael through the hallways of the facility, passing rooms of children, some as young as six, being taught to become trained killers. There were even rooms with doctors preforming terrible operations on children by breaking their minds and bodies, and then remaking them into weapons. Most people would be horrified to see such things, but men like Azrael didn't see it that way. He saw it as merely the production of newer and better weapons to use against mankind's greatest and most hated enemy, the Coordinators. Men like Dr. Andras and most of those that worked here only saw an opportunity to improve human genetic enhancements or to create a super soldier.
"The Biological CPUs have all been subjected to some biotechnological modifications to enhance their abilities to levels on par with a Coordinator. We've given them extensive mental conditioning by removing their memories of their past and other things that would prove to be a distraction in combat, as well as their sense of fear, while increasing their aggression,"Andras explained as they walked through the corridors.
"Unfortunately, the increased aggression also makes them harder to control. But we've solved that problem. We've begun giving them the performance enhancing drug, Gamma Glipheptin. While the drug boosts their already formidable combat abilities, it has some negative effects on the CPUs. Most notably, the withdrawal effects that occur once the drug has run out of their systems and the damage it does to their nervous systems, but the addictiveness of the drug is what will keep them in line. They're not perfect, but they're definitely combat ready. We're hoping in a few years for one of the two next generations to be ready for use."
"The next two generations have been approved? I've never heard anything about that. Who approved it?" Azrael asked.
"Djibril. He felt that it was necessary to prepare for all possible outcomes for this war. As well as it's aftermath should we win the war."
"Djibril," Azrael said in annoyance.
Djibril was always trying to interfere with his plans. He was the second most powerful man in LOGOS and Blue Cosmos behind Azrael himself. Azrael hated the viper of a man. Djibril was always plotting and scheming of his own plans and ambitions. There were those that considered him evil, but Djibril was much worse than he was. He simply wished to remove the threat of the Coordinators whether eliminating them all or just caging them and using them for the benefit of the true humans: the Naturals. Djibril wanted to wipe out the Coordinators and build a world empire with LOGOS as the secret leaders of Earth. Azrael didn't really want that, after all, he was the Director of the Atlantic National Defense Conglomerate. He made money off of war. Where was the profit for him if there was only one nation on Earth and no Coordinators to fight?
"You see, with the success of the Biological CPUs, we've become divided over how to improve on them. Some have come up with a true second generation of Extended, while I and my supporters have come up with the EX-C Project or the Extended Gamma Project as some call them which will generate greater soldiers than whatever they come up with."
"Hmm... I've read the report you sent about the EX-C Project and I have to say you may have a point there doctor, but the materials you need won't be easy to come up with."
"I mentioned this to Djibril. He said not to worry. He would see to that we would get all of the materials we need for the project."
The two entered Andras's office. Dr. Andras sat down and began typing on his computer. A minute later, he stood up. "These are the files of four best, combat ready prototypes," the doctor said, gesturing for Azrael to take his seat.
The files on the four CPUs were displayed on the screen before them. "Shani Andras... I see you're truly dedicated to the work here, Doctor," Azrael said as he skimmed his file.
"Indeed. I found a use for my useless son," Doctor Andras proudly said. "For years, I never thought he would never amount to anything but he's finally proven me wrong."
Azrael nodded and resumed reading. "Clotho Buer... arrested for petty thief and rape..." Azrael chuckled. "I'm surprised that, considering the victim, you managed to get him."
"Mr. Lorne said 'Use him as a guinea pig, make him into something useful. Or kill him. I don't care, so long as he never comes near my daughter again.' So I put him in the program."
"Kevin Hunter Jr... stabbed his own father to death sixty-nine times... And only at age thirteen... Quite vicious."
Andras smirked. "He's one of my favorites. He arrived here not long after killing his father. He was completely quiet and emotionless when he arrived. Now... Well... Let's just say he's much more interesting."
"Orga Sabnak... arrested by the military as part of a group of smugglers selling military hardware to the black market and the enemy... during the arrest, he managed to destroy two tanks single-handedly with an RPG... Hmm.... They're all quite impressive."
"We've been putting them in simulators where they pilot those prototypes from Heliopolis against high numbers of ZAFT mobile suits and situations that most pilots would find unsurvivable. And every simulation ended in victory for them. We can put them through another simulation for you if you like."
"No. I'll take them," Azrael said. "How long will it be to get them ready?"
"A few days to prepare the team of doctors for their maintenance and the drugs."
Azrael nodded. "The new mobile suits will require another two weeks at most before they're ready. If I send you the data on the machines, could you use the simulators to train them in using the new machines?"
"Of course," Andras said. "We can have them start tomorrow afternoon if we get the data today."
Azrael grinned. "Good. I'll have the data sent to you at once. I want them ready to pilot those machines by the time they're completed."
The Next Day
Four teenagers sat in the chairs of the waiting room. One teen, listening to an MP3 player, had long, messy, pale green hair that covered much of the left side of his face, leaving only his purple, right eye in sight. Shani Andras didn't care, however. The doctors had told him that his left eye was ugly, deformed, and hideous. And it was. Shani knew that. It needed to be covered up from the world, its ugliness hidden. He had once strangled a fellow test subject to death when she had mocked his deformed eye.
Near him sat Orga Sabnak reading a book. He had light blue eyes and slicked back olive green hair. Like the others, his hair and eye color had changed from what had been done to them. Out of the four of them, he was considered the most mentally stable and the closest thing to squad leader among the four. Of course, he was just as prone to firing on his teammates as the rest of them were.
Next to him, Kevin Hunter Jr. sat, his blue eyes locked on the small book he was writing in. The gray haired teen was territorial over his notebook to the extreme. A couple of orderlies tried to take it from him once. Big mistake. One left with a broken nose. Another was left with a broken hand and Keven had bit the ear off the third before they managed to restrain him. After that, no one tried to take it from him again. While he was quiet outside of combat, he became more like a beast in combat frequently howling and snarling like a wild animal.
The last one, with bright red hair, was Clotho Buer. He was playing his handheld video game. The game's sounds were the only sounds in the room. He was the loudest of them, often shouting out cries of battle from the video games he played and was more prone to picking fights with others than the rest of them, though not as much when compared with Kevin.
A group of orderlies entered the room, lead by a blond haired woman. "It's time for another simulation," the woman said.
The four Biological CPUs stopped what they were doing and stood up. They didn't like this woman. She was supposedly the mother of that snot-nosed brat, Auel. They all hated most of those little brats that were to be their successors. Of course, they didn't really care for each other either or anyone from this facility for that matter.
The orderlies led them to the simulator room. The room was round with four simulators evenly spaced along the walls. There was an observation room in balcony overlooking the room. A nurse carrying a tray with four small vials of Gamma Glipheptin, entered the room. The Head Doctor stood in the observation room. They all hated that prick above all others. All of the subjects of the program hated him. Any of them would give anything to skin the man alive.
"Hello boys," the Doctor said with that sickening smirk of his. "We have something new for you today. Same old simulation, but brand new mobile suits, mobile suits that, in two weeks, you'll be piloting in real combat, should you all perform better than you have been, that is. If not, then you will never, ever leave this facility."
This caught their attention. All of them hated this hellhole. A chance to escape from here, even for a little while, was definitely desired by all of them. And that wasn't including the fun of real combat. The four Biological CPUs grinned. They were gonna prove that were ready for real combat even if they had to go through a hundred of these simulations.
"Now, take your meds so we can begin."
The four each took a vial. Kevin downed the contents of the small bottle as the others did the same. A slight shudder shot up his spine as the drug entered his system while a grin spread across his face. He loved this drug. The rush, the euphoria, the feeling that you could take on the whole world and crush it beneath your heel was a wonderful feeling. The withdrawal, however, was a bitch, but who cared about that now? Now was the time to have fun.
"Choose your machines," the Doctor ordered.
One by one, each of them sat down at a simulator. The machines came to life displaying the schematics of the GAT-X151 Massacre. Kevin gripped the controls as a feral grin spread across his face. The simulation started as dozens of GINNs appeared on the screen as did the GAT-X252 Forbidden, the GAT-X370 Raider and the GAT-X131 Calamity. The GINNs advanced on them, firing out their rifles. Kevin snickered as he brought the Massacre's two Fenrir twin Gatling guns to bare on the GINNs. "Time to die pests!!" Kevin roared, firing on the GINNs.
"Hey! Don't hog all the fun!" Orga said as he fired the Calamity's shoulder cannons at the GINNs.
"Annihilate!" Clotho shouted as rounds from the Raider's railguns tore through some of the GINNs.
The Forbidden's plasma induction cannon fired and a beam streaked through a horde of GINNs. Halfway through, the beam curved, destroying more mobile suits as Shani snickered. Clotho threw his spherical breaker. The heavy metal ball tore through a GINN, tearing it's head off and slamming into a GINN behind it. Orga let loose with all of the Calamity's guns. It's overwhelming firepower destroying whole groups of GINNs. The Massacre's chest opened up, revealing two more Gatling guns. Beams and bullets rained from the six guns shredding GINNs like there was no tomorrow. Shani charged the advancing GINNs, his Nidhoggr scythe raised. He sliced through a pair of GINNs directly in front of him. "Move!" Kevin screamed, firing the Massacre's Ragnarok beam cannon the Forbidden.
The Forbidden spun around, it's Geschmeidig Panzer energy deflector sliding over it's head. The beam struck the shields and was deflected to the left, piercing a GINN. Shani laughed as the deflector returned to it's original position. Kevin growled in annoyance, but quickly turned his attention back to the GINNs. It didn't take long for all the GINNs to be destroyed. "Come on!!" Kevin roared. "Bring us more targets!!"
"Yeah!!" Clotho shouted.
Dr. Andras chuckled. "Don't worry. More opponents are coming."
He turned to the technician manning the simulator control console. "Impressive. They beat their best time by almost a full minute," he said. "You heard him. Double the number of mobile suits and throw in some BuCUEs and DINNs as well."
"Yes Doctor."
"And increase the AI's intelligence. We need to test their full capabilities in these new machines."
Onogoro Island
The Archangel sailed into the very same hidden port they had been in the last time they were here. And just like the last time, the ship was badly damaged, though not quite as bad as it was then. As the Archangel docked with the port, Cagalli ran through the corridors of the hidden port, heading for the Archangel. The door to the Archangel opened. Cagalli was about to run through it when a doctor and a nurse pushing a stretcher with a wounded crew member barreled through the doorway. Cagalli stepped aside letting the more important group pass. She caught a glimpse of the person's injuries and it made her sick to to think that Kira might have ended up like this as well.
Once they passed, she resumed her running until she found him. "Kira!" she shouted, embracing the teen in hug which sent them both to the ground.
"Cagalli?" a very surprised Kira said as Cagalli lay on top of him.
"You are such an idiot!" she shouted as she pounded at his chest with tears sliding down her cheeks. "You're just... You're so... I never thought I'd see you again! How could you do that to me?!"
Kira took one good glance at her face and he knew she had been crying for days. She was tired and probably didn't get enough sleep. He said the only thing he could for her. "Sorry."
She stopped pounding his chest and finally looked into his violet eyes. "So... you're really alive?" Cagalli asked as though, at any moment, Kira would disappear again.
"Yeah. I'm alive. And I did come back," Kira said. "Now. Could you please get off me."
The Bridge
The bridge officers of Archangel, as well as Mu and John, all stood as Lord Uzumi Nara Athha and his entourage entered the bridge. "I'd like to thank you for coming to our aid once again sir," Murrue said.
"Given the circumstances, I'm sure you understand that we can't officially welcome you and your crew to Orb. But in any case, you'll finally be able to get some rest," Uzumi replied.
Murrue nodded. "Thank you."
Uzumi glanced around at the group, noting their weary expressions and defeated looks. "With the destruction of the Earth Alliance Headquarters, the world is once again drifting in a new direction," he told them. "Once you've rested up, I'll update you with the latest news. You'll see for yourselves. I'm sure it will provide you with more than enough food for thought. You might even question why you wear that uniform in the first place."
Orb Military HQ
A Few Hours Later
Lord Uzumi, General Dante, Cagalli and Ledonir Kisaka listened quietly as Kira, Mu and Murrue took turns explaining what had happened to them. Chris, John, Liz and the Archangel's bridge officers were there as well.
"A Cyclops System? But even if the details of ZAFT's invasion plan had been leaked, that seems like a rather harsh course of action." Uzumi Nara Athha was visibly disturbed by what had happened at Alaska.
"But you have to admit, from a strategic stand point, it was a tremendous victory. Destroying eighty percent of ZAFT's forces in the operation in exchange for the loss of a smaller, undesirable force. To any military strategist or leader, that's definitely a worthwhile sacrifice," Samuel Dante said.
"And here's the result." Uzumi pushed a button on the TV remote.
Images of the ruins of JOSH-A appeared on the screen. "To the last soldier, our defense forces fought heroically. The destruction of JOSH-A and the sorrow that accompanied that loss shall be forever be marked in history as a day of infamy." Images of the wounded survivors of the battle appeared. "But despite this loss, we shall never submit to them. What right do the Coordinators have to threaten the security of our skies? The sacrifice that was made was immense, however, we must overcome this great loss and confront our enemies wherever we may find them." The image changed to that of anti-Coordinator rallies and marching Earth Alliance soldiers. "We must gather our strength and fight against the arrogant Coordinators to ensure the freedom and security of the people of Earth! To ensure the preservation of our blue and pure world!"
"God. I hate that line," Chris blurted out as Lord Uzumi turned off the TV. "How the hell is killing Coordinators going to make the world blue and pure? It's nothing but bullshit."
"I understand why it's happened, but it's sure tough to swallow," Mu said with a sigh.
"To go along with the tone of it's rhetoric, the Atlantic Federation has been increasing it's political pressure on all of the neutral nations. They're being told that any nation that doesn't join the Alliance will be considered an enemy nation," Athha informed them. "Of course, Orb is no exception to this."
"They just want to get their hands on Orb's power," an angry Cagalli added.
"I'm sure you're all aware of this, but Orb does not refuse entry to Coordinators. We're one of the few countries that allow anyone to enter and reside within our boarders as long as they honor the ideals and laws of Orb. We believe that no one should be judged on whether or not his or hers genes have be engineered. The only thing that labeling someone a Natural or a Coordinator does is create friction between people." Uzumi turned to Kira and his daughter. "Cagalli is a Natural. While Kira is a Coordinator. These are facts they have absolutely no control over. I cannot support the policies of the Atlantic Federation, because it labels every Coordinator an enemy and evil, insisting on attacking them for that bias reason. Who is really fighting who here? And what is the real reason behind it?"
"But sir. I understand the point of what your saying. And excuse me for saying this, but isn't your position a little... idealistic?" Mu asked. "Those sound like wonderful ideas, but Coordinators will continue to look down on Naturals who, in turn, will be jealous of Coordinators. That's just the way things are."
Lord Uzumi nodded and stood up. "I am aware of that," he said, walking away from the table. "It goes without saying, our nation has difficulty living up to this. But if we gave up on trying to improve situation, then in the end, we'd be left with no other choice but to eliminate each other. At that point, it'd be too late to do anything but reflect and regret what had passed."
Uzumi stopped and turned to the group. "My friends, you wouldn't be suggesting that we keep silent and let this happen, would you? Because that's what the rest of the world is doing. From this point, you can choose your own course in life. I can understand if you still feel loyalty to the Earth Alliance, but you're all young and capable. Make you decisions carefully. And be sure to choose the future you truly desire."
"What's your view on this, Lord Uzumi?" Kira asked.
The former Chief Representative of Orb approached the former Earth Alliance Ensign. "I believe we are entering a time when our swords can no longer be held simply for display," he solemnly replied.
Morgenroete
Later That Day
The Raven, the Buster, the Surge and a jeep entered the hanger. Erica Simmons stepped out of the vehicle. "Park them on that side of the hanger!" she shouted, waving towards the left side of hanger. The three mobile suits lined up on the left side of the hanger and powered down. Chris, Liz and John exited the machines. "So why did you ask us all here, Chief Simmons?" Mu asked as he, Kira and Cagalli climbed out of the jeep. "I understand that you wanted to upgrade the Raven and tune up the machines we recaptured, but why are Kira and I here?"
"I have some things to show you before we start work on the Raven and the other two machines," Erica said as Chris, Liz and John joined the rest of the group. "Follow me."
A few minutes later, the group found themselves approaching another hanger. "You know we've been quite busy since you were all last here," Erica said as they approached the doors to the hanger. "We haven't just been outfitting the Astrays with the Natural OS."
She opened the doors and they all entered the hanger. Greeting them was a pair of mobile suits. One familiar. One not. The first mobile suit was the Strike completely repaired and restored. In fact, it looked as new as the day Kira first entered the cockpit. The other mobile suit, while similar to the Strike, was new to them. It looked kinda like someone had built a Strike using components from both the Strike and one of the Astrays. Its head crest was topped with angled-back spikes. Its shoulders and skirt were longer than the ones on the Astrays and the Strike and more stylized than the other machines giving it a distinct look to it.
"Of course, you already know the Strike but the machine next to it is the MBF-MX1 Athena. It's a prototype for a limited production mobile suit for Orb Commanders and aces. It's faster and more maneuverable than the Strike and is equipped with an improved version of the Phase Shift Armor. It also has the hardpoints for mounting Striker Packs and we're planning on using it to test the new Striker Packs we've been developing," Erica said. "It's almost completed. Pretty much all we have to do is install the OS and few other minor things."
"As for the Strike, we recovered it after your last battle in it. The damage to it looked worse than it actually was, though because we didn't know what happened to you, we replaced the OS with one for Naturals but we can switch it if you like."
Kira looked up at his old mobile suit. "No," he said. "I have new mobile suit now."
"Then I'll pilot it," Cagalli called out instantly. "If that's okay with you Kira."
"No," Mu interrupted.
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm piloting it," Mu replied.
"Hold on there. We still have two more surprises for you all," Erica said, walking around the mobile suits.
Behind the two machines were two more mobile suits lying on the ground and being worked on by Morgenroete crews. The first was a second Strike unit with a few minor differences over the original. Notably, holsters for the knives stored in the forearms. A group of crew members appeared to be struggling to load one of the knives into a holster. "Come on! What's taking so long?!" Johanna Dante shouted from on top of it's chest. "Why haven't you gotten that knife loaded into the forearm yet?! That was suppose to be done half an hour ago!"
Crews scrambled to get the knife in question loaded into the forearm holder. Johanna climbed off the mobile suit's chest as the group approached. "Hi. Showing them the new machines?"
Erica nodded. "Well then," Johanna began, turning to the rest of the group, "you can consider this the Strike 2.0. It has an improved battery and the improved Phase Shift Armor, but big difference is that it's equipped with what we call the Camo Shift Armor System: an alternative to Mirage Colloid System. Unlike the MC system, this system can be used for as long as there is power for the Phase Shift, but as its name implies, it doesn't provide complete visual invisibility. The system adjusts the color of the Phase Shift to blend in with it's surroundings and makes it invisible to radar and sensors. When the suit is stationary and the system is activated, it's next to impossible to detect unless the enemy is right on top of it. And the defensive power of the Phase Shift Armor System remains active during this time, protecting it. It's an effective system for stealth and sniper units, however, movement does reduce the effectiveness of it as it can't adjust quickly to sudden changes in its surroundings."
"Do you have a pilot for it yet?" John asked.
"No. It's still a few days from being completed."
"Then if you'll let me, I'll take it. I need a new mount."
Johanna smiled and nodded. "Then we'll have to mount this one with the Sniper Aile Striker for you."
"The next machine should be familiar to you all. It was in even worse shape than the Strike. In fact, what we recovered wasn't enough to restore it. So we took what was left and used it as the core of a new machine," Erica said, directing them to the second machine. "We call it the Neo Blitz."
The machine before them was far from complete. Only it's head, torso and right leg seemed to be complete. At the moment, the crews were attaching the left leg to the machine but it was the Blitz.
"When it's complete, it will have the improved Phase Shift Armor as well as its Mirage Colloid stealth system. That Mirage Colloid is certainly an interesting system. We've been experiment with it and we're hoping that the Neo Blitz will serve as a testbed for some of those experimental systems," Erica explained. "Of course, it won't be defenseless. We are planning on equipping it with weapons similar to what the original once had."
"An impressive assortment of machines," Chris whistled. "So what are you going to do with them?"
"Depends on what happens next," Samuel Dante said as he approached the group. "The Athena will join our Astrays as protectors of Orb. As for both Strike units, I see no reason that you can't have them if you want them. Same with the Neo Blitz, if Miss Simmons here is willing to part with it. It technically belongs with the Archangel alongside the Raven, the Strike and the those two machines you recaptured."
"You're just going to give us these machines?" Mu asked.
"Yes. Lord Uzumi himself said to give these machines to you," Samuel said. "He said that if you're going to try to end this war, then you're going to need the strength of these machines to do it. Personally, I agree with him. You're going to need more than just the four machines aboard the Archangel."
"Yeah, but we only have five pilots," Mu said.
"For now, but one never knows what tomorrow might bring. Just because you have only five pilots, doesn't mean that you will always have five pilots." General Dante turned to the two machines under construction. "That is one thing I have learned in life. Things can change in an instant."
Now, I'm purposely revealing as little information on the new machines from Morgenroete as possible. I don't plan to reveal their full armaments and capabilities until the battle of Orb. When they first see combat. Hence, I have only done a mobile suit stat section on the Massacre, since that one actually saw combat. Or at least a virtual version of it saw combat.
And before anyone says, 'But why did you choose Athena for the name of an Orb MS, when just about every other Orb machine has a Japanese name?' I know that already. The reason I chose the name is because I couldn't come up with a Japanese, or at least Japanese-ish, name for it. So, I used the in-development name I had for it instead.
For the background of the Druggies, I know that in the canon, it's stated that they were criminals that were offered a clean slate if they became Biological CPUs. But I believe that was before Destiny was made. Because to me, that doesn't seem to fit what they came up with the Extended and Lodonia. The whole Extended program would have had to have been up and running for years before BV war started. So I took their vague background and altered it to what I believe their background was. That were basically orphans, youth criminals, children of members of the project. Children that no one wanted or would miss. They were then taken by agents of the Atlantic Federation to the Extended lab. Then I created individual bios for them as well as what they looked like before they were experimented on. Bright red, pale green and olive green are not natural hair colors. What they went through clearly changed that.
And the Extended Gammas are a special creation of mine that will appear in Destiny alongside the canon Extended.
As to Azrael's comments on Djibril. That's my interpretation of their characters and motivation. Prior to the first firing of GENESIS, Azrael implied that he would have been just as happy, having the Coordinators as slaves to the Naturals, as he was with wiping them out. And that's likely what would have happened to the remaining Coordinators if they had managed to nuke the PLANTs. Actually, that'd make an interesting story there. Having the Clyne Faction fail to stop the nukes in time and the Earth Alliance winning the first BV war and turning the surviving Coordinators into slaves. As to Djibril and the whole world empire thing, some of those early LOGOS meetings in Destiny, implied that he had his own plans for creating a single world government, by using Break the World as a rallying cry for the nations of Earth to unite against ZAFT. Azrael never struck me as a person who particularly wanted that. He did say that how the nations of Earth must unite against the Coordinators, but never seemed as...I don't know, fanatical as Djibril was. He was more like a business man while Djibril appeared fanatical and power-hungry. But that's just how I felt about those two.
Oh and that reminds me. There's an awesome AMV on Youtube, called 'Gundam Pilots of Destruction (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed)' by kickassanimefan. It's clips of the Druggies in action set to the song 'Instruments of Destruction' by NRG. Which is easily, the best song for the Druggies and I call it the unofficial theme of the Druggies. Technically, it could easily be the theme song for all the Extended as well as Sven and his group. But it fits the Druggies better.