Celestial Being Chronicles - Chapter 45
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.
Back on Earth, a battle raged in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, between a fleet of Earth Alliance ships and a fleet of ships from Nazi Germany. Both sides were firing relentlessly, but the Earth Alliance fighter aircraft had the edge over the vastly outdated German aircraft.
The Earth Alliance fleet consisted of eight Arkansas-class destroyers, six Fraser-class destroyers and one Spengler-class aircraft carrier, while the German fleet consisted of five Deutschland-class cruisers, five Narvik-class destroyers, four Bismarck-class battleships and one Zeppelin-class aircraft carrier.
The Earth Alliance fighter aircraft consisted of F-7D Spearhead and FX-550 Sky Grapsers, while the German fighters consisted of Arado Ar E.561s, Arado Ar E.581.4s, Focke-Wulf Fw-190s, Focke-Wulf Ta-183 Huckebeins, Hienkel He-162 Volksjagers, Messerschmitt Bf 109s, Messerschmitt Me-163 Komets, and Messerschmitt Me 262 Swallows.
The German bombers consisted of Arado Ar E.340s, Arado E.555s, Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condors, Junkers Ju-87 Stukas, Junkers Ju-88 Destroyers, Hienkel He-111 Zwillings, Horten Ho-229s, Horten Ho-18As and Horten Ho-18Bs.
Even though the German fleet had more than enough aircraft, most of them, specifically the rocket-powered Me-163 Komets, would run out of fuel very quickly, and making an unpowered landing on an aircraft carrier in the middle of a battle was not the easist thing to do.
Kira Yamato scowled as he stood on the Excalibur's bridge, watching the battle as it was broadcast to the ship from the pair of ZGMF/TAR-X1 GINN Tactical Air Reconnaissance Types that were currently monitoring the naval conflict.
"Kira." Lacus spoke up. "We've just intercepted a transmission from the Orb Union."
"From Orb?" Cagalli asked, rushing to the pink-haired beauty's side.
"Yes." Lacus answered, even as she routed the audio through the speakers.
"This is Uzumi Nara Athha, the leader of the United Emirates of Orb." The voice of Cagalli's adoptive father spoke through the speakers. "Unidentified warship, please state your intentions."
The only answer was that of the Super Yamato opening up with its main guns, the massive shells hurtling through the air before then slicing through a pair of Aegis-class cruisers, igniting their ammo magazines and engulfing them in fire.
"This shit has to stop now!" Cagalli yelled, the anger in her voice catching everyone off-gaurd. The blonde-haired woman wasted no time in moving back to the helm, quickly putting the Excalibur into a steep dive, the dagger-shaped warship plunging into the Earth's atmosphere. As the Excalibur punched into the atmosphere, the ship's Phase Cloak activated, rendering the ship not only invisible, but also intangible, as it continued to dive unerringly towards the small island nation.
After only a few short moments, the Super Yamato had dispatched all of the Aegis-class ships sent to intercept it and had once again resumed moving towards the island nation, but it stopped unexpectedly when a single lance of green energy pierced the rear of the battleship.
"What the hell was that?" The Captian of the Super Yamato yelled, only to have his question answered an instant later, as the golden form of the Akatsuki Gundam, equipped with an upgraded 'Shiranui' space pack, which allowed atmospheric flight, suddenly appeared, the golden machine standing on the deck in front of the bridge of the Japanese warship, its cold blue eyes brightly glowing.
"You dare to attack my nation?" Cagalli shrieked an rage, even as the Akatsuki began to glow with the blood red light of Trans-Am. "I will make you pay for what you've done!"
In response to Cagalli's declaration, the Super Yamato once again opened fire with its main guns. To the horror of the Japanese sailors, all six of the huge shells bounced harmlessly off the golden machine's armor. Three of the shells plunged into the ocean while the other three shells tore through and obliterated the Super Yamato's lower triple-barrel artillery guns. Although the impacts of the shells did suceed in pushing the Akatsuki Gundam back far enough so that it was forced to ignite its thrusters and take to the air.
"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF LETTING THIS ENDLESS CYCLE OF KILLING CONTINUE!" Kira roared within the cockpit of the Divinity Gundam, as the angelic machine dove out of the heavens and landed on the Super Yamato's bow. "If it's your pleasure to commit war, then I will take all the pleasure FROM war, I will make it something so abhorrent that only the truly insane would ever think of engaging in it!" Pure white light surged and rippled around his body, so bright that it was visible through the Divinity Gundam's closed cockpit hatch, and Kira felt an awakening spread through every fiber of his being, as if each and every individual cell had suddenly opened a microscopic eye to glare at the monitors, to glare at the Super Yamato battleship.
To the crew of the Super Yamato, the Divinity Gundam appeared to be unarmed, but in reality, the machine's twin beam rifles were hanging from its hips, while the twin buster rifles were holstered on its back, both of the massive beam weapons concealed by the holoshroud.
"Shoot me down, if you can." Kira mocked, as he stood motionless on the bow of the ship.
"Open fire!" The Captain on the Super Yamato ordered. "Shoot those things out of the sky!"
As the crew moved to carry out their orders, a single shell slammed into the Divinity Gundam from the left, punching the angelic machine off of the Super Yamato's deck and forcing it to ignite its thrusters and take flight.
Kira scowled as his radar blared, notifiying him of multiple surface ships which were approaching from his left. The amethyst-eyed man frowned at the approaching forms of the Japanese battleships Haruna, Kongo and Nagato, the destroyers Akatsuki, Ayanami and Hibiki, and finally, the aircraft carriers Akagi, Soryu and Katsuragi.
"Japanese Imperial Navy battleships Haruna, Kongo and Nagato, destroyers Akatsuki, Ayanami and Hibiki, and aircraft carriers Akagi and Soryu." Kira sighed, reading the information as it appeared on one of the subscreens, even as the approaching battleships and destroyers opened fire with their main guns. "I suppose I should shed at least a part of my massive advantage and make this a somewhat fair-ish fight." Kira smiled as he dodged the incoming shells, watching in amusement as one of the shells slammed into the deck of the Super Yamato.
"Excalibur to Akatsuki and Divinity." Lacus's voice called, as the still approaching Japanese ships fired another salvo.
"What is it, Lacus?" Kira and Cagalli answered in unison, even as Kira freed and ignited a beam saber from his left hip before slicing a trio of incoming shells, which had been fired by the Ayanami, cleanly in half.
"Please return to the Excalibur." Lacus ordered, as the Excalibur dropped the veil of its Phase Cloak, the ship seemingly appearing out of thin air as it gently touched down one the surface of the ocean a mile away. "We're preparing to launch both the Minerva and the upgraded Bismarck."
"Understood." The former twins once again answered in unison as the two Gundams ignited their thrusters with a flash and took off towards the Excalibur. By this time, the ten Japanese ships had arranged themselves into a defensive formation around the Super Yamato and had begun to retreat.
"Captain." Lacus said. "The Japanese ships have moved into a defensive formation around the Super Yamato and are steaming away from us at full speed."
"Let them go." Murrue ordered. "Maybe they've realized that they can't win against us."
"Lacus." Cagalli sweetly said as she walked through the door and stopped beside her lover, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper. "If you disobey those orders, I'll let you do anything you want to me later tonight." Lacus allowed a deep blush to spread across her face as she silently gave both the Bismarck and the Minerva launch clearance.
Almost immediately after lauch, the Bismarck, which unlike the Minerva didn't posess Mirror Coated Phase Shift armor, had to steer sharply to the right in order to avoid hitting wrecked fragments of the Aegis-class cruisers, turning directly into the line of fire of all ten Japanese warships, which had now reversed their course and were steaming straight towards the Excalibur.
Not only was the Celestial Being battleship Bismarck greatly outgunned, but it also suffered from mechanical problems with her main armament; experimental 32-inch guns, housed in two turrets at the front of the ship and two more at the rear, which could fire a 15,620 pound, MCPS armored shell from each of the three barrels. In addition to its massive main armament, the Bismarck also posessed a secondary armament in the form of 18-inch guns, which like the main armament were housed in two turrets at the front of the ship and two more at the rear, like the main 32-inch guns, the 18-inch guns fired a 15,620 pound, MCPS armored shell from each of the three barrels. Finally, for close range defense from attacking aircraft, the ship posessed hundreds of anti-aircraft beam guns and flak cannons.
The turrets of both the primary and secondary armaments were actually three-gun, and not triple-barrel, because each barrel could be elevated and fired independently. The upgraded Bismarck could fire any combination of their guns, including a broadside of all of its guns, which resulted in a total of 24 MCPS armored shells screaming through the air to impact on their helpless target.
The guns could be elevated from −8 degrees to +75 degrees, moving at up to 20 degrees per second. The turrets could rotate 300 degrees at the rate of up to 10 degrees per second and could even be fired back beyond the beam, which allowed the ship to fire on any vessels foolish enough to engage in a pursuit.
"All engines, full speed ahead, target the Japaense fleet and ready our 32-inch guns." Asuka Langley Soryu, the Captain of the Bismarck, ordered. "Have our 18-inch guns and anti-aircraft guns readied as well."
At the same time, the Minerva, under the command of Talia Gladys, was preparing its own weapons. Although at the command of their leader, Kira Yamato, only the projectile weapons and anti-aircraft beam guns were being prepared for combat, while the larger calibur beam weapons were being brought online, they were set to their standby mode. Even as the Bismarck and Minerva brought their weapons online, nearly two dozen Earth Alliance ships suddenly appeared on the Excalibur's radar.
"Captain!" Lacus yelled. "We've got a large Earth Alliance fleet approaching us from behind!"
"What?" Murrue replied, whirling in her chair to look at Lacus.
"According to our sensors, the Alliance flagship is carrying the Calamity, Forbidden and Raider Gundams." Lacus answered as an image of the approaching Earth Alliance fleet appeared on one of the subscreens. The Earth Alliance fleet was nothing if not impressive, consisting of dozens of ships, including attack submariines, Arkansas-class destroyers, Danilov-class destroyers and Fraser-class destroyers and six Spengler-class carriers.
Suddenly, Kira realized that the Excalibur was caught in a massive pincer attack. "Minerva!" The amethyst-eyed man urgently spoke. "Alter your course, 1-8-0 reletive, bring all of your weapons online and prepare your mobile suits for launch! We have a massive Earth Alliance fleet approaching from behind!"
The Minerva was quick to follow its new orders, turning around to face the Earth Alliance fleet and moving in between the approaching fleet and the Excalibur, even as the catapult doors on the winged warship opened, while the Bismarck continued its battle with the Super Yamato.
The three Biological CPUs entered the hanger where their mobile suits and the doctors with their drugs were waiting. Each took their vial and downed the contents. They then put on their helmets and climbed into the cockpit of their machines.
At that moment, Azrael's face appeared on their main screens. "Say boys…"
Orga Sabnak looked up at his display screen. "What?"
"It's extremely important that you don't damage Morgenroete or the Mass Driver." Azrael ordered. "Do you understand?"
"But we can destroy anything else, right?" Shani Andras asked.
Azrael simply nodded.
"Oh yeah!" A pleased Clotho Buer smirked.
"Why don't you guys shut up." Orga sighed as the mobile suit hold doors opened. The Forbidden launched first, heading for Onogoro. The Raider followed, transforming into its mobile armor mode. Then the Calamity launched, quickly landing on the Raider, using it as a flight platform.
"Twilight, Eclipse, please proceed to the catapults." Meyrin Hawke's voice echoed through the hanger bay. "Providence and Legend are to remain on standby."
As the Twilight and Eclipse launched from the Minerva, the Calamity, Forbidden and Raider launched from the Earth Alliance carrier Barack H. Obama.
"Wow, that's just sad." Kira shook his head as the specs of the Alliance carrier, or more specifically the name of the ship, appeared on one of the Divinity's subscreens as the Gundam was moved to the Excalibur's centerline catapult. "The Alliance actually named a carrier after that person."
"Divinity, you are cleared for launch." Lexi spoke, her voice echoing through the hanger as the Akatsuki, Chimera, Destiny, Strike Freedom and Sword Impulse were moved to their own launch catapults, even as the Earth Alliance ships opened fire with a barrage of missiles.
The missiles descended towards Onogoro en masse. Orb linear tanks, AA guns and M1 Astrays fired on the missiles, intercepting many of them. But many more still hit, destroying tanks and gun emplacements as the mobile suits dodged backwards.
The hangars containing the Archangel, Dominion, Eternal, Enterprise-E, Prometheus and Ptolemaios 2 opened, and the six ships launched to aid the battle. Sitting on the decks of the vessels were crouching M1 Astrays and Murasames, which quickly came to life as the vessels opened their hangers to release even more mobile suits, and even a few Gundams. More missiles rained down, and the new arrivals opened fire on the missiles as well. Even still, a large number of missiles impacted on civilian residences near the shore, though they'd thankfully already been evacuated.
Several Alliance carriers approached the shores, opening their holds to release Strike Daggers.
"Juri, the Earth Forces are sending in their mobile suits." Mayura reported. Juri gasped, and Asagi gulped slightly in fear.
As orders were given to reinforce the Izanagi shoreline, carriers appeared overhead, dropping mobile suits as the Archangel began to launch its machines.
Juri's Astray leapt back, the machine drawing its beam saber, but the Strike Dagger she was facing slammed into her, knocking her back, then aimed its rifle at her. At that instant, a beam tore into its arm.
"Back off!" Mayura said, rushing forward to protect Juri.
"Mayura!" Asagi called out as she dueled a Strike Dagger with beam sabers. Suddenly, a fast-moving shadow passed by, drawing the attention of all pilots upwards as the Divinity flew overhead.
Suddenly, the Divinity began to glow with a blood red light as its weapons snapped into place and Kira opened fire, destroying heads, limbs and weapons on the Strike Daggers en masse with precision accuracy. Several Alliance pilots cried out in fear as the angelic machine released its shield and descended towards them, grabbing both its beam sabers.
The Divinity landed on the ground, instantly slashing off the right arms and legs of two Strike Daggers as its physical shield landed twenty meters ahead of it. Faster than most people could blink, the Divinity flew forward, replacing its beam sabers on its hips, snatched its shield, and surged out towards the battling fleets. The Alliance pilots gaped at the unbelievable display of power, while the Astray pilots gasped in shock.
Kira glanced to his left as the Freedom appeared, and without any hesitation, he opened an audio-only communications line. "Kira Yamato, please cover my allies." He said to his younger-self, even as he copied the the IFF codes for all of Celestial Being's machines to the Freedom's computer. With that done, the Divinity Gundam, still glowing with the red light of Trans-Am, sped away, vanishing behind its Phase Cloak
"Go! Go! Go!" An Earth Alliance Lieutenant shouted, leading several squads of Strike Daggers towards a group of Orb Astrays and tanks.
Just after they passed a pair of damaged buildings, though, flames suddenly exploded from nowhere, expanding in a massive fireball that consumed a dozen Strike Daggers all at once. The other Strike Daggers backed away as a large form materialized in the center of that inferno, and as the flames began to die down somewhat, a glowing red demon stepped forth.
The mobile suit was like none they'd ever seen before, and many backed away, absolute terror gripping their hearts at the sight before them, even as the blood red glow faded from the machine's armor.
The machine before them was solid black, and a few who had read the reports instantly recognized that the mobile suit was the CB-X60D Divinity Gundam. But it was obviously no longer that machine. The mobile suit before them seemed like it had seen ten thousand battles, with very clear scratches and battle scars covering it nearly head to foot, the scarring a gray-white against the previously pure white mobile suit's body, a pair of blood red angel-like wings on its back, similar scarring and even what seemed to be holes filling the wings.
The worst of it was the head, though. The left side looked in pristine condition, while the right side was jagged and scarred-looking, with the jaw appearing fractured and a large gash running through the right eye, which seemed as though the camera was exposed. Suddenly, the eyes flashed to life, the left eye appearing its original purple while the right eye glowed an angry, demonic red, even as the machine reached behind its back, freeing and igniting a twin bladed beam scythe.
It was perhaps a tribute to the courage of the Earth Forces pilots that none of them wet themselves with this demonic machine standing before them, looking for all the world like the grim reaper itself come to claim their souls, now armed with a large, twin beam scythe.
Suddenly, with incredible speed, the Divinity rushed forward and swung its scythe, cutting apart three machines that were too slow in just that one swing. The Daggers in the back, their pilots quaking with fear, raised their rifles and fired on the scythe-wielding mobile suit.
Suddenly, a salvo of shells from the Super Yamato slammed into one of the Earth Alliance Danilov-class destroyers, punching through the reletively thinly armored hull and detonating within the ship, engulfing it in a fireball.