Celestial Being Chronicles - Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gundam series, nor any of the various series which are used or referenced in my fic, so please point that damned lawsuit cannon at someone else, also, don't read this if you are not of legal age to read such material. The story contains possibly disturbing content and should not be read by close-minded people (i.e., people who are easily offended.) Everything in the story is fictional. I am also not responsible for any actions taken by people who read this story and society's problems. I do, however, own my original character; Hope Yamato.

"How are our preparations coming along?" General George Patton asked as he walked into the recently completed aircraft hanger hidden far beneath the surface of the Nevada desert. The hanger was truly massive, able to hold a total of 1,000 aircraft, 500 fighters and 500 bombers.

"We're about one week ahead of schedule sir." One of the technicians replied.

"Good." Patton replied. "Any new information on our enemy?"

"Yes." The technician answered as he handed the General a clipboard which had a few photos along with a readout of one of Celestial Being's more powerful aerial weapons; the Aigaion.

"This airborne carrier of theirs, the Aigaion. Do we know how what its carrying capacity is?" Patton questioned as he glared at a photo of the vaguely manta ray shaped craft.

"We're not sure, sir." The technician replied. "But we suspect that it is capable of supporting at least two dozen fighters as well as at least a dozen bombers." The technician paused for a brief moment, but then he continued. "We do know, however, that the Aigaion is the base of operations for Celestial Being's 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron, also known as the Strigon Squadron. We have no idea what kind of fuel this thing runs on, although, given what has been observed so far, we suspect that it may utilize some form of perpetual energy."

"So," Patton sighed. "We are up against an enemy who doesn't rely on any form of known fuel to power their weapons and, on top of that, they are able to destroy entire planets in an instant."

"It almost seems as though we are going to be fighting against God himself." The technician grimly replied.

"Yes, it certainly does." Patton replied after a moment of silence.

"Sir!" One of the radar operators suddenly shouted. "We have a massive craft descending towards us from beyond the atmosphere!"

Outside, one of the parameter cameras swiveled towards the sky and focused on the quickly descending form of the Celestial Being warship Minerva. The ship currently bore its ZAFT colors of grey-and-red, with the insignia of the United States Army Air Force on the wings and tail.

"The approaching ship wishes to open communications with us." The radar operator announced a moment later, clearly in shock.

After a long moment of silence, Patton nodded. "Put it through."

"This is Misato Katsuragi, Captain of the Celestial Being warship Minerva." A female voice spoke. "We wish to negotiate a cease-fire."

Something about the sight of the Excalibur's pilots arrayed before him in their flight suits sent Kira's blood rushing through him with new vigor. They had hung up a Celestial Being flag on the hangar wall behind him, all eyes turned up towards the commander as he stood on a hangar gantry. Yes, it was a good day to be a member of Celestial Being, and soon it would be even better.

"Soldiers of Celestial Being!" he cried. "I know you have suffered much in the past years, knowing that our comrades are unable to jump into this universe to assist us, knowing that the Earth Alliance grows stronger by the day and our people suffer and die under their brutal hand, knowing that we are all that is left of the fighting spirit of the Coordinators in the Earth Sphere, knowing that we are Celestial Being's last representatives on the Earth. And," his face contorted in hatred, "I know you have suffered, knowing that there are traitors in our midst!"

He swung out his arm furiously. "Yes, the warship Minerva may very well be in the hands of the Naturals, but we know that ship and its crew better than they ever could! We know who they really are! We know just what price they paid for their treason, and that price was our blood!" He clenched his fist. "But through these years, training and preparing for this day, you have never forgotten what those traitors and cowards have cost us. They turned against us in our most desperate hour and delivered us into the hands of the enemy. They cost us our homeland, our people, our dignity, our power. And for our brothers and sisters who died, on the battlefield and off, they cost them the voice of a people!"

The air went silent. "But," Kira continued, "We have not forgotten. We will not let them forget. They stole our technology, and more importantly; they stole the lives of our people and our comrades through their treachery, and such a crime can only be repaid in blood." He clenched his fist before him. "So, soldiers of Celestial Being, we have our task set before us! Our wait is over! Our suffering ends! Go, not as broken refugees and shell-shocked survivors from various different planets and universes, but as warriors! Go as soldiers of Celestial Being! Go, and deliver our message!"

He thrust his fist skyward.

"We speak for God himself!"

Every man and woman in the hangar pumped their fist towards the heavens. "For God! For God! For God!"

Kira grinned as the hangar rang with the words of men and women speaking once more as soldiers.

"We're coming up on the Earth Alliance armada now," Lacus nervously reported a few hours later, as she sat at the sensor console. "But, err, captain, they're in a strange formation..."

Sitting in the captain's chair, Murrue Ramius studied the situation before her. The Earth Alliance couldn't be so foolish as to attack the Excalibur. "Meyrin, contact the Minerva."

"Uh, yeah, about that," Meyrin spoke up with evident nervousness in her voice, "we're actually being jammed on all frequencies."

"What?" Mayu cried. "Check them again; they can't be so stupid as to do that!"

The bridge door hissed open and Kira Yamato burst through like a typhoon. "Dive the ship, now!"

"Dive?" Murrue started.

"Now!" Kira roared. "Before they fire!"

Murrue hesitated a moment, saw the Minerva's guns angle up, and then seized the intercom. "Cagalli, 200 meter dive, immediately!"

The Excalibur lurched as it abruptly nosed down towards the ocean, and Murrue's eyes went wide as the three enemy battleships and three submarines opened fire with a devastating barrage, slicing by over the Excalibur's dorsal surface and glancing off its armor. The ship shook ever so slightly, and Murrue stared in disbelief as the warships angled their guns for a second blow.

"They just shot at us!" Mayu cried. "What the hell? They can't be serious!"

"They are," Kira snarled. "Captain, you would do well to remember in the future that everyone can be blinded by foolish hatred."

With that, he sprinted out the bridge door, and Murrue looked back at the Minerva.

"I can't believe this shit." She snarled and seized the intercom again. "All hands, Condition Red! Stand by for anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-mobile suit combat! All mobile suit pilots, launch immediately!"

Murrue slammed the intercom down and glowered at the warships arrayed before her as the Excalibur's defensive and offensive systems quickly came to life.