Celestial Being Chronicles - Chapter 118
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.
After the assassination attempt, Celestial Being remained in the shadows, watching, protecting, guiding. And then, more than 400 years later in the year 2350, everything began to change. Explorers on Mars unearthed alien ruins. The human race was electrified. Did this mean they were no longer alone? The ruins pointed humanity deeper into space where they discovered that Pluto's moon of Charon was not actually a moon, but a shell concealing another ancient relic, one that would come to be called a Subspace Catapult. A colonization boom erupted as humanity began to expand beyond their solar system and began to chart one exotic world after another. And all the while, Celestial Being watched and waited...for contact with an alien race. And then, it happened. But not in the way anyone had hoped.
Humans called it the First Contact War. The Borg only refer to it as the Catapult 314 Incident. Technically it was all a big misunderstanding. The Borg, a race of cybernetic aliens, found a group of humans re-activating a Subspace Catapult named Catapult 314. This was forbidden under intergalactic law, but instead of negotiating, the Borg opened fire. One ship escaped to warn the Federation and the war began. Fortunately, it only lasted for three months, but the ramifications were long lasting. Celestial Being intervened in the only large-scale action during the war, the occupation of Triton and, for the first time in galactic history, an alien race knew what it was to battle with a Gundam. The humans and Borg were on the verge of a complete galactic war when Celestial Being managed to stop the fighting and negotiate a peace treaty between the two.
The sun shone across the rich, cream and brown-colored clouds of Jupiter as a sleek warship arced over the gas giant planet. This ship did not belong to the Earth Federation, its blue and white hull sparkled like a new car under the distant light of the Sol system's sun. Onboard the ship, various crewmembers in different colored uniforms went about their duties. One crewmember in particular was making his way to the bridge to watch as the ship passed through the subspace catapult.
He was a tall man, well-built with a strong jaw, sharp amethyst eyes and dark brown hair kept short. He was wearing what was considered a normal suit, the standardized pressure suits that all mobile suit pilots wore. It was colored a deep blue on the front and back with lighter blue flank panels and heavy armored padding on the chest colored grey.
This man strode onto the bridge of the ship just in time to see the pilot swinging the ship in front of the massive needle-shaped subspace catapult.
"Well! If it isn't Kira Yamato!" Lexi Yamato's holographic image grinned from the pilot's chair. "Hey check this out. This is going to be the ride of your life. Coordinates locked. Entering catapult in five...four...three...two…"
As the ship flew past the relay, the burning energy at the center of the needle reached out an ensnared the ship. With a bright, lightning flash, the ship accelerated and vanished, only to reappear at another relay. The ship then accelerated again and entered faster than light speed.
On the bridge, Lexi looked over her controls. "GN Field...stable. Drift...just under six inches."
"Damn, that's pretty good." Kira said, impressed.
"Pretty good?" Lexi smiled. "Are you even awake this morning? I just jumped us all the way across the galaxy to hit a target equivalent to the size of a sheet of notebook paper! That's more than good, that's awesome!"
"Shinn, how are you finding the Ptolemaios?" Kira asked, turning to face the crimson-eyed man as he sat at the weapons station.
"It's an excellent ship, sir." Shinn answered. "I'm proud to be serving on her."
"Did you know that this ship is named after the ship that Celestial Being used in its first public interventions?" Kira questioned.
"No, I didn't." Shinn responded. "So this ship has quite a reputation to live up to then."
"Don't worry, the new Ptolemaios is more than up to the challenge." Kira grinned. "This ship is equipped with all the latest technology that Celestial Being has developed. But that's not really the reason we're on this cruise."
"Oh?" Shinn asked. "And what is the reason, sir?"
"Well, there are two, one official and one unofficial." Kira replied. "The official reason is that we're heading to a planet called Eden Prime for some observation. Do you know much about Eden Prime?"
"It's one of humanity's most well-developed colonies." Shinn affirmed. "They say it's a paradise."
"Yes, Eden Prime is one of humanity's shining beacons, proving that we can build vibrant colonies far from Earth and protect them." Kira nodded. "Thanks to a certain discovery that they've made, Eden Prime is about to become the center of galactic attention." Kira was cut off as the ship suddenly fell into Red Alert, klaxons blaring as Lexi's voice automatically boomed from the speakers. "We're receiving an emergency distress call from Eden Prime."
"Patch it through, Lexi." Kira replied after he and Shinn shared a worried look.
Everyone on the bridge turned to gaze at the large screen at the front of the bridge, which blazed to life with a snowy image of Federation marines battling something that they couldn't see. Guns roared and men screamed. They saw one brief image of what looked like a white mobile suit landing behind the marines followed by some more fuzzy action and then a blurry, snowy image of a man in an mobile suit cockpit.
"This is Eden Prime colonial garrison! If anyone can hear this message we are under attack! Repeat we are under attack by-" The transmission abruptly cut off into a snowstorm of static. When the Ptolemaios arrived in orbit above Eden Prime, about five minutes later, the ship was instantly captured by a transparent blue tractor beam.
"We're caught in a tractor beam." Lexi reported, more out of habit than anything else, even as an arrowhead-shaped ship suddenly faded into existence in front of the Ptolemaios.
"No shit!" Kira snarled. "Reverse thrusters, full power!"
"That'll tear the hull apart." Lexi objected.
"Then tear it apart!" Kira yelled. "Just get us free!"
"What kind of ship is that?" Shinn asked, gestering to the ship which had captured them with its tractor beam, even as the Ptolemaios violently shuddered.
"Ship identified." Lexi answered. "NX-01A Dauntless, experimental vessel designed to test various technologies. Very heavily armed and armored, with a crew compliment of up to 500 including up to 250 soldiers, a Phase Shift armored hull, positron reflector energy shields, 30 torpedo tubes, 25 phaser banks, 45 anti-aircraft cannons, 2 positron cannons, 2 twin-barrel beam cannons, a quad-barrel missile launcher, assault probes, and dozens of fighter-shuttles.
"Damn, that's just excessive." Kira scowled. "Lexi, contact the Excalibur, tell them that they are hereby under orders to help repel the force attacking Eden Prime."
"Understood, sir." Lexi answered, pausing for a few short seconds before then adding. "Message sent, the Excalibur is on its way."
"Good, in the mean time." He took a deep breath before shouting. "Break us free of the Dauntless's damned tractor beam!"
"Understood." Shinn answered. "Firing all weapons on the Dauntless." An instant later, the Ptolemaios lashed out at the Dauntless with a barrage of searing beam blasts, only for the green energy bolts to slam uselessly against the Dauntless's glowing positron reflector.
"Kira, they're trying to set up a dampening field!" Lexi yelled, her voice slightly panicked, as she was not fond of the idea of going offline and being completely cutoff from an entire ship, especially since the ship in question was the one that her lover, Kira Yamato was onboard.
Before anyone could react, however, Lexi's holographic image vanished, even as lights throughout the entire ship began to quickly dim. Every single light, both inside and outside the ship, from the bright blue glow of the warp nacelles and navigational deflector, to the pure white lights illuminating the ship's registry and exterior windows, and even the green glow of the GN Drives, went out, leaving the ship in total darkness, invisible in the void of space.
"Damnit!" Lexi loudly swore as her holographic image suddenly appeared on the Exaclibur's bridge. This was one of the few times that she hated the fact that Kira had programmed her with the ability to experience the entire range of human emotions. At the moment, her mind was swirling with a combination of extreme sadness, helplessness and anger.
"Lexi?" Murrue asked, her expression one of shock and confusion. "What happened?"
"We had just arrived at Eden Prime when we came under attack." Lexi answered, completely unaware of the tears that were slowly slipping from her eyes as her roiling emotions caused her eye color to repeatedly cycle through the entire spectrum of visible light, even as her silken brunette hair steadily lengthened and shortened, the length of her soft tresses actually synchronizing with her simulated breathing. "The Ptolemaios was captured by a ship, which I was able to identify as the NX-01A Dauntless, but then a dampening field was established and, of course, I automatically deactivated since the holoprojectors no longer had power."
Murrue nodded in understanding as she freed the intercom phone from its cradle in the armrest of her chair and spoke into it. "All hands to level one battlestations!" With those words, the interior of the massive warship went dark for an instant, only to be illuminated by a blood red light. "Cagalli, set a course for Eden Prime, at the Excalibur's maxumium attainable speed." The marigold-eyed woman ordered. "Hope, bring all offensive and defensive systems online."
Less than five seconds passed, and then the massive dagger-shaped warship came to life, its MCPS armor activating with a hiss, and its engines rumbling as the huge vessel slowly moved out of Earth orbit.
A few hours later, back on the surface of Eden Prime, the ground quaked as a DINN came plowing down into it, and its killer went stalking forward, beam rifle in hand. The blue and yellow GAT-X135 Aile Sword Calamity Gundam, which was essentially nothing more than a standard GAT-X133 Sword Calamity Gundam with the addition of a flight pack on its back, was struck by a full clip from a GINN's machine gun, and retaliated with a beam blast from its chest cannon, spearing the GINN's torso. A GuAIZ R rose to avenge its fallen comrade, but with only its rail guns, stood no chance against the Aile Sword Calamity's next beam shot.
There was a loud crash, and Stella Loussier, the pilot of the Aile Sword Calamity Gundam, looked over to her left, wondering what it was. A group of buildings had exploded, and silhouetted against the flames was Auel Neider's new ZGMF-X33S-L Leviathan Abyss Gundam.
The Aile Sword Calamity rocked, and Stella blinked in surprise as her machine stumbled backwards. She looked around in confusion, finding nothing that could have knocked the mobile suit around, and then the ground exploded beneath her and the Aile Sword Calamity was sent hurtling back.
Before her, a big black and white Gundam with blood red accents and brightly glowing angel-style wings landed with a crash, with two huge blue swords in its hands. Stella blinked again, watching it combine the two swords and spin them majestically over its head, igniting the beam blades.
Inside the CB-X60D Divinity Gundam, Kira Yamato narrowed his eyes at the Aile Sword Calamity, standing quizzically before him.
"Who the hell do you think you are!" He growled, tightening his fists around the controls. "Do you want to start another war?" The Divinity charged, swinging its swords back. "Well, do you?"
Stella drew one of the Aile Sword Calamity's anti-ship swords and charged with a scream, and the two machines came together with a crash. Kira snarled against his foe, pushing harder, until the Aile Sword Calamity leapt away and a pair of plasma cannons emerged from its back, the two weapons swinging up and over its shoulders before then unleashing twin beams of searing plasma. Kira took the shots to the physical shield mounted on the Divinity's right forearm and glanced to the Aile Sword Calamity's left, there was a guard tower there, though the guard's cabin had been hit by a beam shot, leaving a large, heavy-looking chunk of twisted, fused metal; and the Aile Sword Calamity was in the perfect position.
As the Aile Sword Calamity opened fire again, Kira deflected the shots again with the Divinity's physical shield, before detaching the swords and hurling one of them to the Aile Sword Calamity's left. It stepped to the side, but the sword went slicing through the tower, and with a loud shriek of protesting metal, the tower came toppling down. The Aile Sword Calamity raised its shield in vain, slashing upwards with its anti-ship sword as the metal girders slammed down around it.
Kira narrowed his eyes at his immobilized foe and charged, brandishing his remaining anti-ship sword, but as he closed in for the kill, the Aile Sword Calamity freed itself and leapt up into the air, dodging Kira's killing stab.
"Kira!" A voice shouted. Kira glanced at the screen, finding the Katsuragi's ever-insistent Executive Officer, Arthur Trine, glowering at him. "Your orders are to capture them! Those are our machines!"
"I know that!" Kira shot back. He didn't need Arthur's complaints, especially in the middle of combat. The Divinity leapt into the air, spreading its angelic wings and, pulling back its sword as it chased the Aile Sword Calamity. "But I don't think I can capture them without inflicting at least some damage!" He added. The Divinity swung its sword at the Aile Sword Calamity, trying to slice off its right arm, but the blue and yellow mobile suit was much more nimble than it appeared to be, and jetted back towards the ground, and Kira grunted in frustration, cutting the thrusters to chase it.
"Be careful!" Arthur protested. "You're going to-!"
"Leave him alone, Arthur!" The voice of the Katsuragi's captain, one Misato Katsuragi, for whom the ship was named, cut him off. "Stop distracting him! You're going to get him killed!"
Kira smirked as the Divinity landed. At least Misato knew not to bother mobile suit pilots in combat anymore than necessary.
"Supreme Commander Yamato!" Another voice shouted. Kira once again took cover behind the Divinity's shield as the Aile Sword Calamity boosted backwards, firing its plasma cannons again. He glanced behind himself, finding a pair of Strike Daggers and a GINN jogging towards him. The face of a grizzled Celestial Being officer in a green shirt's flight suit appeared on the monitor. "We'll go around and hit the Aile Sword Calamity from behind! Distract it!"
Kira nodded and charged again, pulling his sword back again. The Aile Sword Calamity turned and charged right back, and the two mobile suits slammed together again. "I wish the Divinity still had its quantum crystal anti-ship sword." He growled, before kicking the Aile Strike Gundam in the chest, sending it skidding backwards.
Another storm of beam shots slashed through the air, and the two Strike Daggers and the GINN were blasted to pieces. Kira's eyes widened as the Leviathan Abyss Gundam landed amidst their smoldering remains, and tried to pull back, but the Aile Sword Calamity was there to insistently hold their position. The Leviathan Abyss drew back its beam lance, and inside the cockpit, Auel Neider laughed victoriously.
But it was not to be, as another beam shot ripped up the ground in front him, throwing the Leviathan Abyss back. With a roar of engines, a flash of crimson slammed into the Leviathan Abyss, sending it grinding against the ground and onto its back.
Kira's eyes widened as the ZGMF-X23S Savior Gundam raised its beam rifle at the fallen Leviathan Abyss. The Leviathan Abyss barely managed to block the shot with its shoulder shells, and responded with a volley of its own.
"Kira!" The pilot of the Savior Gundam, Shiho Hahnenfuss, shouted as the red Gundam took cover behind its beam shields. "You're forgetting about the Leviathan Abyss!" The Leviathan Abyss took off into the air, and the Savior went after it.
Kira grunted an obscenity. Yes, he loved Shiho, but sometimes she got in his way.
The Aile Sword Calamity surged forward, its pilot screaming, and Kira tensed, waiting for the blow. At the last second he leapt up, and the Divinity kicked the Aile Sword Calamity across the face, sending it staggering back. Landing with a crash, Kira raised his sword and charged, but the Aile Sword Calamity recovered soon enough to deflect the sword blow with its shield.
"You're about to be eclipsed!" The voice of Shinn Asuka yelled, as the ZGMF-X42E Eclipse Gundam suddenly dropped out of the sky, its quantum crystal anti-ship sword slicing through the Leviathan Abyss Gundam, the blade cleaving the mobile suit in half from crown to crotch as though it were passing through air. "You've just been eclipsed!" The crimson-eyed man scowled, even as he brought his beam cannon to bear and fired a searing energy blast, vaporizing the remains of the Leviathan Abyss.