Celestial Being Chronicles - Chapter 49
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.
The Divinity Gundam glared at the approaching vessel. It was one which Kira had seen years earlier and had come to know as a Borg Cube.
Kira sighed as the communications lines were forced open on all frequencies and on all channels, filling the air with billions of voices speaking as one. "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistence is futile."
Meanwhile, Natarle sat in her command chair, completely focused on what was coming. She glanced out the bridge windows at the Dominion's escorts. Not one, not two, but eight Agememnon-class warships, all filled to the brim with mobile suits. The nine ships flying through the blackness in a V formation.
"Are the suits you're after really strong enough to warrant this much force?" Natarle asked.
"From what has been observed, we'd need several fleets worth of Strike Daggers to defeat all four of them." Muruta Azrael replied. "No, the suits of those ships are to preoccupy their allies. They're not as strong, but they're still formidable. Sending ordinary mass-produced models after the machines I'm interested in is nothing more than sending those pilots to their deaths."
Natarle shook her head slightly. It wasn't even simply mass-produced models in those carriers. Aside from the next generation G-weapons, the Dominion only carried GAT-01 Strike Daggers. While those made up the bulk of the task force's mobile forces, Natarle knew that there were also more advanced models hidden in the hangars of those carriers.
"Nine warship silhouettes detected in the Mendel Colony harbor, ma'am." Pressly announed. "One of them is confirmed to be the Archangel."
"Wow." Azrael commented. "You wouldn't think they'd have gathered so many allies in such a short period of time. Perhaps we should've brought along additional ships ourselves. Still, we shouldn't press our luck. Let's go ahead and get the fun and games started." Natarle sighed slightly, but concealed it from Azrael.
"Prepare the ship for battle!" She ordered. "Activate the Igelstellungs and Valiants, load all missiles tubes with Sledgehammers." Her orders were swiftly carried out, the crew having spent much of their time practicing as they searched for the Archangel. Grissom alerted the escort carriers. "Aim Lohengrin. Target the first ship of the Archangel-class, the Archangel."
"Large heat sources approaching, ma'am!" Sai said from the Archangel's sensor station. "They all appear to be warship-classes. Distance 700, orange eleven, mark eighteen alpha. Eight Agamemnon-class carriers and one unknown."
"All hands to Level One Battlestations!" Murrue's younger-self ordered.
As the crews of the nine vessels in the harbor rushed to bring the ships up to Level One Battlestations, a sudden explosion shook the colony.
"Archangel, taking off." Murrue said. "We've got to get outside."
"Captain Ramius." Kisaka's voice spoke.
"What's the Kusanagi's status?" Murrue asked.
"We're ready to launch." Kisaka answered.
"We're still making a few final adjustments to the Eternal." Andy said.
"The Minerva is good to go." Talia Gladys replied from the bridge of the Minerva. "But both the Bismarck and the Ptolemaios are trapped by debris from the shot. They need some time before they can get out."
"Understood." Murrue said, as the Archangel began to move out of the harbor. "Activate the Igelstellungs and Valiants. Load all aft missile tubes."
"Hope, looks like you were right." Kira's older-self said, shutting his visor as the Divinity moved to the Excalibur's catapult, while the Akatsuki, Chimera, Destiny, Freedom and Destiny Impulse were brought online.
"Yeah, but I wish I wasn't." Hope replied as the catapult doors opened up across the mammoth ship.. "This attack came much sooner than we expected. And they're not holding back anything against us here, either."
"Everyone ready?" Kira asked.
"Yes sir!" The millions of pilots choursed in perfect unison.
"Jesus Yamato." The amethyst-eyed man called. "Divinity Gundam, god-complex returning."
"Cagalli Yula Athha, Akatsuki Gundam, heading out!"
"Hope Yamato, Destiny Gundam, I'm a pretty butterfly!"
"Lacus Clyne, Chimera Gundam, launching!"
"Mayu Asuka, Destiny Impulse Gundam, heading out!"
"Murrue Ramius, Strike Freedom Gundam, taking off!"
"Shiho Hahnenfuss, DEEP Arms Gundam, launching!"
"Kira Yamato, Freedom Gundam, let's do it!"
"Athrun Zala, Infinite Justice Gundam, taking off!"
"Dearka Elsman, Buster Gundam, launching!"
"Nicol Amalfi, Blitz Gundam, heading out!"
"Andrew Waltfeld, Gaia Gundam, launching!"
The Gundams launched, along with many, many more machines as the Excalibur shot out mobile suits like missiles.
Suddenly, a new voice came over the communications line.
"This is the Earth Alliance Forces mobile assault ship Dominion." The familiar voice said. "Archangel, do you read me?"
Those that had served with the Archangel before JOSH-A were all stunned.
"Your ship has been listed as a renegade vessel and we therefore demand your immediate and unconditional surrender." The voice of Natarle Badgiruel continued. "Should you fail to abide by these orders, we will have no choice but to destroy you."
"Captain, we have a visual image of the enemy task force." Mir said, putting the image on screen, and transmitting it to the other ships and all their mobile suits.
"The Archangel." Murrue's younger-self gasped at the sight of the darker-colored copy of her ship.
At that moment, the bridge of the Dominion was displayed to them, revealing the face of Natarle Badgiruel.
"It's been awhile, Captain Ramius." She said.
"Yes, it has." Murrue replied.
"I regret that we have to meet again under these circumstances." Natarle said.
"Same here." Murrue replied.
"I heard about what happened at Alaska." Natarle continued. "However, I strongly suggest that you surrender and talk things over with Military Command. I don't know what help I can be, but I'll do everything I can to assist you. I know you're well aware of what this ship is capable of doing. Please, let me help you."
"Go fuck yourself." The voice of Kira Yamato's future-self growled, forcing his communication line closed as the Excalibur and the Executer suddenly appeared directly behind the Dominion, the dagger-shaped vessel launching a large cube-shaped ship towards the second ship of the Archangel-class.
By this time, the other ships had exited the harbor and formed up around the Excalibur and the Executer, their shields effortlessly blocking any weapons that had been fired at them.
The Celestial Being fleet was nothing if not impressive, as it now consisted of eleven ships in total; the Excalibur, the original Archangel, the upgraded Bismarck, the Enterprise-E, the Eternal, the Executer, the Kusanagi, the Minerva, the Prometheus, the Ptolemaios and a Borg Cube.
"Natarle, thank you, but we cannot do that." Murrue's younger-self said, both of them clearly ignoring Kira's outburst. "This isn't only about what happened at Alaska, or even what happened to Orb. We have serious doubts about the Earth Alliance as a whole. Therefore, there will be no surrender and no return to the military!"
"Oh, this is so amusing." Came another voice, accompanied by the clapping of hands. The smug arrogance in it made even Kira and Lacus feel inclined to at least inflict horrible bodily injury on the owner. "You should be embarrassed, Miss Captain. If we could solve everything by talking, there would be no conflict in this world. Enemies are made through misunderstandings. Once that happens, all that can be done is to shoot them before they shoot you."
"Director Azrael!" Natarle said, her tone one of protest. The Dominion bridge crew had to restrain the urge to attack the man.
Everyone aboard ten of the eleven ships fell silent for a moment.
"Calamity, Deathscythe, Forbidden and Raider! Launch!" Azrael's voice spoke again. "Today, we destroy the indestructible Archangel!"
"Isn't Azrael...?" Miriallia began.
"The leader of Blue Cosmos?" Neumann finished.
"Yes." Murrue's younger-self replied, her eyes narrowing in anger.
Murrue's older-self simply smirked as she sat on the Excalibur's bridge. After a moment, she focued her thoughts on the Borg Cube, ordering it to transmit its standard hail, and if the Dominion didn't stand down, to open fire.
On the Dominion, the communications lines were suddenly forced open on all frequencies and on all channels, filling the air with billions of voices speaking as one. "We are the Borg. Lower your defenses and surrender your ships. Your life as you know it is over, from this moment forward you will service us. Resistence is futile."
"We surrender to no one!" Muruta yelled. "Open fire! Destroy those ships!"
"Crew of the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship Dominion, registery number LCAM-02XA, this is your final warning, surrender immediately." The Borg repeated, even as the Dominion's beam cannons and linear cannons opened fire, the weapons impacting harmlessly against the hull of the cube.
"You might want to listen to them, Natarle." Murrue recommneded. "The Borg could probably beat the combined forces of both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT with only a few ships." Despite the warning, the second ship of the Archangel-class continued to fire, now spliting its attacks between the cube and the Archangel.
Even as the Dominion continued its relentless weapons fire, a cloud of mobile suits suddenly appeared between the darker-colored Archangel-class and the Celestial Being fleet.
"Natarle!" Kira's older-self roared, the Divinity transfoming into its flight mode and screaming forward.
"Shoot that machine down!" Azreal screamed, as the Divinity Gundam, it's wings brightly glowing, effortlessly weaved its way through the Dominion's anti-aircraft fire.
"Borg Cube." Kira smirked as he slowly moved the Divinity away from the Dominion, even as rounds pinged harmlessly off his armor. "Your crew is now free to board and assimilate the Dominion and its escorts, however, do not assimilate Natarle Badgiruel." After thinking for a moment, Kira added. "Assimilate Muruta Azrael last, I want to watch as he cowers in fear."
"I won't run from you, space monster!" Azreal roared. He was forced to take those words back an instant later, as five Borg Drones materalized on the Dominion's bridge. In an instant, all of the bridge officers had their sidearms drawn and were firing at the strange, cybernetic invaders, but to their horror, only two of the strange creatures fell to the deck as the other three continued to advance, unconcerned with their fallen comrades. As the drones began to assimilate the helpless crew of the Dominion, Natarle Badgiruel seemed to dissolve into thin air as she was teleported from the Dominion's bridge and into a holding cell onboard the Excalibur.
"Supreme Commander Yamato." One of the Borg representatives, a female whom had formerly been human, spoke through the communications line. "What are your orders regarding the Earth Alliance ships and their mobile suits?"
"You can have the Strike Daggers and the Agememnon-class ships." The amethyst-eyed man answered. "But leave the Dominion and the Gundams alone, I will send a team to retrive them once everything has been secured."
"We've found Gundams on some of the Agememnon-class ships." The Borg representative said after a few moments.
"Capture one of the Earth Alliance pilots and have them move the Gundams to the Dominion." Kira sighed.
"Understood." The representative replied.
Kira glanced at the rearmost Agememnon-class ship to the left of the Dominion, as it suddenly ignited its engines and pulled out of formation, firing a brightly glowing white flare as it did so.
"So, now they want to surrender?" Kira asked rhetorically, even as transparent blue tractor beams lashed out from the Excalibur, the tractor beams trapping the Agememnon-class ships as well as the Dominion itself, in their grip and dragging them towards the Excalibur's hanger bay.
"Hello, Natarle Badgiruel." Kira said as he glared at the captured captain of the Dominion.
"Kira Yamato." Natarle replied in shock.
"In my previous life, yes, I was known as Kira Yamato." The amethyst-eyed man replied. "However, I am now known by my more divine name: Kira Jesus Yamato."
"You certianly have become full of yourself." Natarle scowled.
"No, I only want to eliminate all conflict from the universe." Kira replied. "And in order to help me with that mission, I have obtained the powers of God."
"Eliminating all conflict is impossible, Kira." The raven-haired woman replied.
"I've already eradicated all conflict from four other worlds." Kira smirked. "And if I can't eradicate all conflict on Earth, I am fully capable of eliminating the planet and everything on it."
'He's gone insane.' Natarle thought, as she stared at Kira in horrified shock.
"No, I don't suffer from insanity." Kira grinned. "I enjoy every minute of it."
"Kira." Lacus's voice suddenly spoke from the intercom.
"What is it, Lacus?" Kira replied.
"It's the Earth." The blue-eyed beauty answered. "We're detecting massive temporal flucations."
"Can you please be a little more specific?" Kira asked.
In response to Kira's question, an image of the Earth appeared on one of the monitors hanging from the ceiling, and his eyes widened at what he saw. The planet was haphazardly speckled with more than a dozen different colors, each of the colors representing either a different place in the current timeline, or a different timeline altogether.
"Wait a minute." Kira said, after a moment of stunned silence passed. "Lacus, why is the Orb Union not seperated into multiple timelines like every other part of the planet?"
"We're not sure." Lacus replied. "We are trying to figure that out right now."
"Either way, we'll probably be able to figure more out if we actually go down there and investigate." Kira replied, as he walked out of the holding cell, the force fields automatically lowering to let him out before then reactivating so that Natarle wouldn't be able to escape while he was gone.