Celestial Being Chronicles - Chapter 145
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.
"Turn on your TV to the news. Right the hell now!" Dearka Elsman's voice said as he burst into the room, his face pale as snow.
"What?" Kira asked, shocked and suddenly awake by the sight of his distraught friend. "What's wrong?"
"It's best you see for yourself. Cagalli too. Turn the fucking TV on, dude. Right the fuck now!" Dearka's voice quavered even as he blasphemed. Kira quickly unlatched the door, and Dearka barged right in. "Why are you gawking at me? You have to see this, though you're going to be pissed." Dearka said, hurrying past Kira and over to the TV. Kira followed behind him, wondering if Dearka had blown a fuse in his head. Any speculation faded when Dearka flipped the channel from a commercial to a news service.
"For those of you just joining us, this is a live update on the Orb crisis." The anchor was saying. Dearka turned the TV up so that it was blastingly loud. "Incontrovertible evidence was released to this news service along with all others worldwide. This evidence conclusively proves that the ruler of Orb, the young Cagalli Yula Attha, is in fact a pretender to the throne." Kira's jaw dropped. He heard a scream of surprise from the bedroom. "This photo, along with several DNA tests and other documents, were found outside the studio this morning, along with a note from a concerned world citizen explaining their meaning." The photo on screen was an exact replica of the photo Cagalli's father had given her just before he died.
"Formerly thought to be the daughter of Lord Uzumi Nara Attha, Cagalli has now been proven to be the daughter of the scientist Dr. Ulen Hibiki, deceased. Dr. Hibiki was a major proponent of Coordinator engineering several decades ago, but was killed in the Mendel Colony bio-weapon disaster. This sudden development has cast serious doubts as to the sovereignty of Orb and to its current position as member of the World Peace Organization, led by Celestial Being. The peace talks have ground to an absolute halt, as ambassadors struggle to confirm whether or not Orb is actually a country or not. There is panic and rioting in the streets." The announcer continued calmly. Cagalli had thrown one of Kira's large shirts over her nudeness and had rushed out into the common room.
"This cannot be happening!" Cagalli said in denial.
"I don't think we knocked the picture over...and I don't think it was us who opened that window last night. We're being deliberately attacked." Kira replied, his voice full of cold rage.
"That's a pretty low blow..." Dearka started to say. Then the situation got much worse.
"Wait...we have just received an update. Younger viewers are urged to ask for parental permission to keep watching. The following tape is rated "M" for mature audiences only." The announcer said, touching his ear as he received voice confirmation of the update. He swiveled in his chair to watch a TV screen, eyes wide in anticipation and dread. The image that came up on the screen was steady and clear, with no jerkiness or fuzziness like most amateur video tapes have. Two young people, completely nude, were standing on a white plastic mat that had four rows of five colored circles on it...one red, one yellow, one blue and one green. As the tape ran, the young people, one a young man with brown hair and amethyst eyes, the other a young woman with blond hair and amber eyes, contorted into a bewildering variety of sexual positions and acts. The tape continued for fifteen long minutes before the announcer reappeared. "For those of you just joining us, that tape showed Cagalli Yula Attha, the former ruler of Orb, having sex with Kira Yamato, her twin brother. There is a strong rumor going around that they recently became engaged, if not already married."
Kira heard a thumping noise and saw that Cagalli had slumped to the floor in a dead faint. Dearka was staring at the screen, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. "Who did this? Why do they want to ruin our lives?" Kira asked in a confused voice.
"We go now, live to the royal palace of Orb. Regent Ledonir Kisaka has appeared at the top of the stairs to the royal palace. The entire agenda of the peace talks has been called into serious question. We go now, live." The announcer was saying. The scene jumped to a live image outside the royal palace of Orb. Kisaka was indeed standing at the top of the stairs, surrounded by a massive mob of reporters. Outside the palace gates, what looked like thousands of Orb citizens milled about, confusion and anger on their faces. "Regent Kisaka! Regent Kisaka! What do you have to say about the real reason why Orb wanted to have peace talks? Now that it has been revealed that your titular ruler has been engaged secretly to a Coordinator...her own brother, no less, and has secretly married him, how can any country ever trust Orb's intentions regarding peace with the PLANTs?" A reporter asked nastily.
"I think it's time for another armed intervention." Kira snarled, his voice quickly taking on an angry tone as he snapped his fingers, utilizing some of his more divine abilities to instantly cover his nude form with a plain t-shirt and a pair of boxers, over which his flight suit appeared a fraction of a second later.
"Kisaka doesn't look so good." Dearka observed. "He looks like he's about to have a stroke or something."
"Kisaka's not the only one...I can think of at least two other people who feel that way right now." Kira snarled.
"Who?" Dearka asked.
"Me...and Cagalli." Kira replied, falling to his knees. Dearka rushed over.
"You're not really having a stroke are you?" He asked in concern. Kira shook his head numbly. Kisaka's face was a mask of rage. However, Kira knew that Kisaka wasn't mad at him and Cagalli. They had, of course, informed him of the marriage years ago and he likely knew what they were up to in their apartment, but he had done nothing more than wish them well and say he would handle things on the political end once it became necessary.
"The worst part about all this is...that neither of these accusations are lies at the most basic level." Kira growled, clearly struggling to keep his rage in check. "They may have some twisted information in them, and have been presented in a harmful manner...but that really was me and Cagalli on that Twister mat. That was last night. And she really isn't Lord Uzumi Nara Attha's actual daughter. But...why? Why is someone out to get us?" Kira continued, the anger in his voice steadily rising.
"I don't think it's personal. Or not fully anyway. I think this is an attack on the peace talks." Dearka said.
"Who would want to shut down the peace talks?" Kira growled and then chorused the answer with Dearka a second later. "Blue Cosmos." They both said.
"Regent Kisaka! What is Orb's position on cross genotype marriage? Are Coordinator-Natural pairings common in Orb now?" One reporter asked. Another reporter snorted, only to get crushed two seconds later, as the Providence Gundam suddenly landed on and crushed him with its left foot. Strangly, no one seemed to notice the grey mobile suit, even as the machine ignited its thrusters and moved to hover over the huge mob of reporters, the pilot of the grey mobile suit was clearly ready to strike down anyone who asked the wrong question or even sneezed the wrong way. "Hell, is it even LEGAL?" He asked. "Regent Kisaka, please comment on why your country was giving preferential treatment to the PLANTs? Was it because your ruler was having sex with a Coordinator all this time?"
"I made a few upgrades after our last armed intervention. You should close your eyes, Yumi." Kira said, following his own advice, even as the custom two-seat CFA-44 Nosferatu superfighter, its MCPS armor having been programmed to match the paint scheme of Divinity Gundam, dropped a single missile from the centerline weapons bay on its underbelly, even as the aircraft streaked through the skies above Iran. As the missile rapidly streaked towards the pair of FB-44 Lion fighter/bombers that were pursuing the angel-winged superfighter, Yumi did as suggested, missing the searing flash that lit up the entire sky like a road flare.
"Paint missiles?" Yumi asked after a five count as she opened her eyes and saw the weapon which her lover currently had selected.
"Yes. Missiles filled with blue paint. They have guidance and radar systems equivalent to the ones used by the Excalibur, and they also have range to match. When one of those missiles locks onto a vehicle with any sort of electronic counter measures, it gives off roughly the same level of warning as being locked onto by one of the Excalibur's main guns does, but avoiding them is pretty much impossible." Kira replied proudly. "They make good joke weapons."
"You're thinking of using the blue missiles, aren't you?" Yumi smiled.
"Damn right." Kira said wickedly. "Target each of the four remaining enemy fighters with a blue missile. This'll put the fear of god into them." Yumi grinned and did as directed.
"All right...I'm going to punch the afterburner on the count of 3, on 1, you fire the missiles. Got it?"
"Yes. 3...2...1…" Yumi fired the missiles, while Kira hit the afterburner an instant later, tripling the jet's speed and leaving the enemy far behind, rubbing bright spots out of their eyes and panicking as they flew in every direction, trying to break the target lock of what appeared to be the Excalibur, which now had them in its sights.
A few days later, nearly sixty thousand light-years away, the Federation Starship Voyager sped through space on its journey back to Earth after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. However, the crew of Voyager was completely unaware that their destination had been fractured between dozens of different realities and timelines.
Suddenly, Voyager shuddered slightly as it dropped out of warp, stopping beside another starship, one that was glowing with power as it hung silently in space. The ship was sleek and bullet-shaped, roughly half the size of Voyager itself, and looked as though it had been built for speed, with a spear-shaped saucer section and four warp nacelles, which had actually been built into each the side of the rear hull.
"Identify." Kathryn Janeway, the ship's Captain, ordered.
"Captain..." Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, the chief security officer, replied. "Unless I'm mistaken the warp signature is Starfleet."
Everyone was watching the viewscreen, which displayed the Starfleet vessel. The crew was transfixed by the sight, but Janeway stayed calm, cautious, taking the situation one step at a time.
"I'll be damned." Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris spoke up from the helm. "They came through."
"Tuvok." Janeway ordered after a short second of awed silence. "Hail them."
"Hailing them." Tuvok replied. "No response."
"Lifesigns?" The Commander, known as Chakotay, asked.
Seven of Nine, a former Borg drone whom had been libereated, answered. "There's no organic matter of any kind."
"No sign of damage to the outer hull." Ensign Harry Kim anxiously spoke up. "Primary systems are on-line...including life support." He paused. "Something must've happened to the crew."
The bridge of the Deliverance was deep, cylindrical, and curvilinear. There were no crewmembers present and the room was in pristine condition, filled with gleaming, sexy, cutting-edge Starfleet technology. Chakotay, Tuvok and Paris suddenly materialized as a trio of blue-white transporter beams appeared in the center of the room. After they had fully materialized, the three glanced around, clearly impressed.
"Wow." Tom said.
"Wow indeed." Tuvok replied.
Chakotay walked over to a console and began to work with it. After a few seconds, the console lit up with a schematic of the ship. "I've never seen this kind of hull geometry." He said, studying the schematic. "It looks like they've taken a whole new approach to starship design."
"USS Deliverance, registry number NX-10A." Tuvok awnsered from another console. "Launched on stardate 51472."
"Sixty thousand light years in three months?" Chakoty asked.
"I'm trying to access the crew logs." Tuvok said. "But there are none."
"I don't think there was a crew." Tom answered, studying another station. "The helm was set for auto-navigation to these coordinates."
"Logic would suggest that Starfleet has provided us with a new ship." Tuvok said.
"Let's not pack our bags just yet." Chakotay said. "I'd like to know how they-" He was suddenly interrupted as the ship trembled slightly.
"I'm reading power fluctuations in the warp core." Tom said, quickly checking his console again. "If you can call it a warp core. I don't recognize this engine configuration."
"Let's go take a look." Chakotay said, and as the ship shuddered again he headed for the door, but just before he reached the door he stopped. "It might help to know where we're going."
"Engineering." Tuvok answered before leaving the console that he stood at. "Deck 6, Section 24." With that, the three headed towards the door and left the bridge.
A few moments later, the three Starfleet officers walked into a dimly lit chamber, with an engine dome in the center of the floor. The dome was roughly four feet high, glowing with a deep rainbow of constantly shifting colors. A circular console surrounded it. At the moment, the actual engine core wasn't completely visible, as it was down below. A steady rumbling quietly echoed within the room.
"I think we've found our engine core." Tom said, moving to the dome and peering down through the clear surface, with Tuvok and Chakotay joining him after a few seconds.
The core itself was a glowing mass of energy; huge, exotic and powerful. The three men carefully eyed the core, the light playing across their faces. "Some kind of new warp drive?" Chalotay asked after a short silence.
"It's not antimatter. I don't know what it is." Tom said, moving to a nearby console, looking for answers. Suddenly, the ship trembled, the room rumbling loudly as the light from the engine dome briefly flared. "They call this thing a Quantum Slipstream GN Drive."
"I've never seen that in the engineering manuals." Chakotay said, as the rumble steadily grew in intensity, the room itself vibrating.
"The ship is powering up!" Tom warned, checking a readout as various alarms began to sound. "Auto-navigation's kicking in!"
Within the void of space, the Deliverance began to to move forward, pulling away from Voyager, slowly at first, but rapidly gaining speed. On Voyager's bridge, Ensign Harry Kim was currently in command, quickly checking the armchair console. "Voyager to Away Team." He spoke into the communications line. "What's happening over there?" There was no response. "Bridge to Janeway; the vessel's moving away at high impulse! I can't raise the Away Team."
"Pursuit course, Ensign!" Janeway instantly ordered.
The Deliverance was violently rumbling now, the engine core glowing wildly.
"I can't shut down the drive!" Tom urgently reported.
"Computer, disable propulsion!" Chakotay ordered.
The computer's response came an instant later. "Unable to comply."
"Hang on!" Tom yelled, as the three braced themselves against anything they could. Within the blackness of space, the Deliverance roared along at high impulse, leaving a trail of glowing green particles in its wake. The nose of the ship began to glow and distort, and with a flash of pure white light, the Deliverance suddenly vanished from view, leaving a single, brightly glowing, redshifted afterimage at the point of its departure.
"Bridge to Janeway." Harry said, his shock evident. "They're gone."
Meanwhile, the Deliverance, its entire hull glowing with a crimson light, raced through the quantum slipstream; a torrent of glowing green energy whipping past the ship at blinding velocities as the warp engines and main deflector strobed with an intense red-green light.
"Look at this!" Tom yelled over the noise, gesturing towards his console. "Energy from the quantum drive is being routed through the engines and the main deflector!"
"Is that what's creating the slipstream?" Chakotay asked.
"It looks that way!" Tom answered.
"Fascinating!" Tuvok replied. "Can you make it stop?"
"I'll try accessing the helm controls!" Tom answered, quickly working at the console. A blast of green energy suddenly erupted from the blackness as the Deliverance roared out of the slipstream and back into normal space, the crimson glow slowly fading from the hull.
"We're back in normal space." Tom sighed, as the alarms stopped and the light from the core died down.
"Scan for Voyager." Chakotay ordered.
"No sign of them." Tuvok answered, pausing for a moment before then adding. "Commander, we've traveled over fifty light years." With that, the three headed back towards the bridge.
"What's that?" Tom asked, as he stepped onto the Deliverance's bridge, only to see the image of a huge dagger-shaped ship on the main screen, the hull of the massive vessel colored in white, red and blue. The three quickly moved to the consoles which they had been at before their unexpected ride.
"Scanning." Tuvok replied from his console, his face showing surprise for an instant as the computer matched the huge vessel to one in the Deliverance's ship library. "Vessel identified as LHM-10XA Excalibur. Prototype warship of the Excalibur-class."
"Is it another Starfleet ship?" Chakotay asked in awe.
"Negitive." Tuvok answered, glancing at huge ship as it floated motionless in the void, just off the Deliverance's starboard bow. "According to the computer, that ship is operated by a private armed organization called Celestial Being."
"Attention, Deliverance." A voice suddenly spoke from the speakers, even as the image of a young man, whom was probably no more than 25 years of age, with short brown hair and bright amethyst eyes, replaced the picture of the huge dagger-shaped ship. "This is Captain Kira Yamato, of the Celestial Being Warship Excalibur."
The three men on the bridge of the Deliverance glanced between each other, unsure what to think, but finally Chakotay spoke. "I am Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager." He said, before gesturing towards Tom and Tuvok. "And these are Lieutenant Tom Paris and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok."
"Okay kids, time for a crash course in Delta Quadrant stellar geography and inhabited localities." Kira Yamato said, looking far more jovial than he had any right to be, as he sat at the head of the massive table, with the Excalibur's crew gathered around him, or in the various other meeting rooms, while the crew of Voyager watched and listened through a two-way communications channel. A map of the Delta Quadrant was spread out on the large monitor directly behind the amethyst-eyed man.
"Planet Vegeta is about two dozen light years from us, we'll have to pass by it on the way to our stronghold on Planet Eden." Kira explained. "They have a huge base that could even cause some trouble for the Excalibur, but we can probably slip by unnoticed, since they don't check all the ships and we can bribe the shit out of them. Then, after about another dozen light years, we'll have to pass by Planet Alderaan, where we can do the same thing." He tapped a finger on Planet Coruscant, nearly fifty light years away from the Excalibur's present position, and another fifty light years from Planet Eden. "Now, that we can't bribe our way past." He looked up grimly at the people surrounding him. "So, we'll have to fight our way through." He glanced around the table. "But I know none of you are lightweights. You can handle this."
One of the Voyager crewmen grinned back confidently. "They're not gonna know what hit them." He chuckled.
"No they won't." Kira agreed. "We've got a lot of work to do. We set out at 1300 hours tomorrow." He clapped his hands and stood up. "Hop to it, boys and girls."
The dock rumbled and Rau Le Creuset grinned as the ZGMF-X42E Eclipse Gundam, which was accompinied by the ZGMF-X42T Twilight Gundam, stomped by, both machines heading towards the launch bay. At his side, Jamie Asuka-Hawke, the eldest daughter of Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke, blinked in surprise at the sweeping, curving white and silver armor of a mobile suit.
"Is that a CGUE?" She asked. "What'd they do to it?"
"The ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault." Rau corrected. "Fitted with an Assault Shroud armor system, highly similar to the one equipped to the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam during the First Bloody Valentine War, providing improved endurance, more weapons and more powerful thrusters." He gestured at the graceful armor as the workers began slowly edging the mobile suit into its desiginated cubicle. "It will be my machine for combat in the Delta Quadrant. A bit of a downgrade from the Providence, but I will make do."
Jamie stared at the CGUE for a moment. "And when will I get my own mobile suit?" She sighed. "Both of my parents pilot Gundams, as do Akira, Allister and Aoi "
"Right now." The voice of Kira Yamato spoke up, causing Jamie to whirl around and to come face-to-face with what appeared to be the ZGMF-X42E Eclipse Gundam at first glance. Unlike the Eclipse Gundam upon which it had been based, however, this machine possesed samurai-style armor on its arms, legs and shoulders, the machine also sported a pair of anti-ship swords stored within the left wing, a pair of high-energy, long-range beam cannons in the left wing, a pair of high-energy beam rifles on its upper legs, a pair of katanas in sheaths on its hips, and was colored in a shimmering silver, with crimson accents and blood red eyes. "From this moment on, this will be your personal machine; the ZGNF-X01A Lancer Gundam."
"Wow." Jamie spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, as she gazed up at her machine; the ZGNF-X01A Lancer Gundam.