Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Create the Future
Chapter 4: First Contact
October 15, 2314 A.D: Quantum Computing System Veda
Tieria had discovered the mobile suit carrier and was pursuing it in his new Gundam. He had hoped that Tieria wouldn't have noticed the team he had sent to the Celestial Being satellite. However, it wasn't much of a loss and was a likely occurrence. In fact, with Tieria's constant presence within Veda gone, this allowed more free movement within Veda. There was still a chance that the mission could be a success, even with Tieria launching in his Gundam. It was a shame that he couldn't sabotage Tieria's body. Tieria had been careful with its development, preventing him from tampering with it.
And there was the rest of Celestial Being to think about. Allelujah Haptism's location was unknown. Since Tieria left contacting him and his companion to the Ptolemaios, there was no trail for Veda to track. The Ptolemaios crew had been much more careful after the Federation started to analyze Veda, using their own secure channels. Eliminating him would have proven useful.
Lockon Stratos, or rather Lyle Dylandy, was an average human. He was the only Gundam Meister who was incapable of using quantum brainwaves. The only useful information on him was his connections with Katharon and, most interestingly, relationship with Anew Returner. Had it not been for Setsuna F. Seiei, Lockon Stratos would have been killed years ago. Those bits of knowledge could prove useful in the future. Even if he was a human being, Lyle Dylandy was a Gundam Meister and a threat to his plans.
Finally, there was Setsuna F. Seiei, the first Innovator. The Gundam Meister had been a great asset to his plan only to become a hindrance. Now the meister was on a mission to observe Descartes Shaman. Given the circumstances, the chance of eliminating Setsuna F. Seiei were low. With the sensing abilities of an Innovator, any assassination attempt would likely be discovered and avoided. However, that didn't mean that he couldn't find other ways to attack him. If there was one thing that he had learned about Setsuna F. Seiei, it was that he never reacted well to a face from the past.
Lagrange 2, Celestial Being Living Room
The living room of Celestial Being was completely different from the rest of the ship. Patrick would have expected a room like this to be in a mansion, not a military facility. Not that he was complaining. The room looked spectacular. The floor was a bluish-white without a speck of dirt on it and the stairs had golden railings. The couches were large and, Patrick could say with personal experience, comfortable. The holographic imagery on the walls was a nice touch too. And in the room was his lovely wife.
Patrick considered himself as one of the luckiest men in the world. He had survived every encounter with the Gundams, to the point that other soldiers began to notice. To Patrick though, he considered himself lucky for winning over his Colonel, Kati Mannequin. Sometimes he found it hard to believe that she had returned to his feelings. But it never really mattered if Kati returned his love. Patrick would have followed her through anything, no matter what she was doing. Right now, she seemed to be keeping herself busy with some work.
"Deep in thought again?"
"Is that anyway to greet your commanding officer?" Kati asked. Patrick only response was to shrug.
"You should take a break. Since Shaman's been gone for awhile, you can take it easy," After their meeting with Descartes Shaman, Kati had been a little on the edge. She kept watching him, like she was trying to figure out how he worked. Something about that guy spooked her. After seeing the Innovator in person, Patrick couldn't blame her. The guy was creepy.
"The press conference will start soon and Captain Shaman will make a public appearance. I want to see what he does," Kati said without taking her eyes from her work.
"He's their problem now, Colonel," Patrick eased himself next to his wife.
"Brigadier General," Kati muttered reflexively. "It doesn't matter where Shaman is, he's part of the Federation military. Those abilities of his aren't something to take lightly."
Patrick understood what his wife was saying. The way Shaman had been able to predict that her mission plan would fail and how he knew that Kati wanted to see him sortie in his mobile armor was definitely disturbing. His performance on the mission was pretty damn impressive. Although Patrick couldn't help but wonder if he only had those skills because he was an Innovator. In the end though, it really didn't matter. Descartes Shaman proved that he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
"I guess that means we have to be careful. After all, he's a new type of human who can read our minds," Patrick said lightheartedly.
Kati gave him a cold stare before chuckling and giving him a small smile. "You know, whenever I'm with you I can't help but feel foolish for taking things seriously."
Patrick chuckled in response. From the day he met her, he always got the weirdest compliments from her. If there was anything he could do, it was to brighten up his colonel's day. Cupping her cheek, Patrick leaned in to kiss his wife. She responded by closing her eyes and leaning towards him. It was, simply put, a perfect moment.
And then someone decided now was a good time to contact Kati. Her terminal received a call before their lips could meet. Before he could react, Kati shoved him aside, very hard he might add, and answered the call.
"General! A section of these facilities has begun operating on its own."
"Are you sure?"
"A previously unknown hatch on the satellite side has opened." That caught Patrick's attention. There was still a large chunk of the Celestial Being that they hadn't discovered.
"Forward the image," Kati ordered and a moment later the video feed popped up. "But isn't that Trans-Am?"
Patrick let out an exasperated sigh. Kati was off in complete military mode. So much for some alone time.
Ptolemaios Bridge
Lasse stepped into the room, having just finished his daily work out. He had made sure to keep his body in good condition, especially after suffering from Tau drive poisoning. While the purified GN particles had countered the particle poisoning that had plagued his body, it wasn't an instant remedy. It had taken nearly a few months before his body had been completely cured. Now it was up to him to take care of his own body.
He came to the bridge to check up on the situation and see if there was any work to be done. There was Sumeragi in the captain's seat, lost in her own thoughts.
"I thought you'd have finished a couple bottles of alcohol by now," Lasse joked as he took a seat near one of the monitors.
Sumeragi chuckled. "Well, I thought I could pass while we were on Earth. I'll just save it for when we have some celebrations. Maybe we could give a toast for a successful mission."
"Speaking of the mission, mind telling me why you sent Feldt and Mileina with Setsuna and Lyle," He had been surprised when Miss Sumeragi had suggested that they go to the city. When he had declined, she really seemed to push the two girls into going.
"Consider it a little bit of extra security. There's something Lyle said he wanted to check up on and I didn't want to just leave Setsuna on his own. But he wouldn't just leave the girls there unescorted. Besides, Feldt and Mileina were raised as a part of Celestial Being. They didn't have a chance to make the choice we did. It can't hurt to let them experience a normal day in the city," Sumeragi explained. Lasse could understand what she meant. Before he had joined Celestial Being, there was an opportunity to back out and go on with his life. Lasse couldn't help but think that there was one more reason Sumeragi hadn't mentioned.
"There isn't another reason you sent them?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sumeragi said with a smug grin. "By the way, how come you didn't go on the mission? I'm pretty sure I could handle things on my own here."
Lasse leaned back into his seat. "There just didn't seem to be much reason for me to go. If Setsuna needed a break, I would have gone in his place. The girls could probably get more out of the city than I would. Besides, you never know when we might need to move out. I am the ship's pilot after all."
"Seriously though, what do you think will go on with Setsuna and that Shaman guy?"
"All we can do is guess. As far as we know, those two are the world's only Innovators. Anything could happen."
"Well now that you say that the mission idea sounds reckless," Sumeragi joked.
"So the standard for us?" Lasse countered, earning him a chuckle from the tactical forecaster. "Guess we're going to leave it all to Setsuna. Again."
"That was the plan. He may be acting a little strangely lately, but Setsuna has grown from when we first met him. We can trust him," Sumeragi said with confidence. "Anyway, do we have any messages?"
Lasse checked the computer. "Everything looks alright. All we got to do is kick back and relax for a little while."
Earthsphere Federation Headquarters
"In the last two years, our planet has experienced a time of peace. No longer is the world plunged in warfare. No longer are the people subjugated to the rule of a tyrannical administration. The Federation has dedicated itself towards the goal of peace. We have upheld our pacifist policies and extended aid to other countries who suffered under the A-laws. Now the world will face a new change. What I am here to discuss are those who we call Innovators."
Descartes listen to the President's speech. To Descartes, the entire presentation was a bore. Such pointless drivel only intended to draw out time. She finally began to explain in detail what Innovators were and what abilities they had. Not that he needed to hear it once again. He almost had an urge to let them lock him up.
The reporters were anxious to ask questions. "Madam President, what are the Federation's future plans for the Innovators?"
"We are currently working on creating a proper infrastructure dealing with the Innovators. While there is much we must learn, rest assured that the Federation will strive for a peaceful foundation in which the Innovators can live in with the rest of society in harmony."
"Do you have anything to say to the citizens of the Federation?"
"I ask the people to not fear Innovators. The cause for innovation is still unknown. Innovation can happen to any human being. It is not a process that can be forced onto someone or occur by choice. While the abilities of the Innovators may seem intimidating, we must remember that they are still fellow human beings. The Federation will provide all information available about Innovators and give treat them the same as the rest of the citizens."
Fellow human beings? Was that the best she could come up with? Descartes looked down at the crowd of reporters and cameramen from the podium. He gazed at the members of the Federation's Parliament and the government officials from the non-member nations. They were drawn to the President's every word, listening intently and trying to understand what Innovators were.
How pointless. As if limited beings could even grasp what he was truly capable of. Even if they learned all they could of an Innovator's abilities, they would never truly understand what it was to be an Innovator. Their only hope was to undergo Innovation themselves. Only then would they understand the difference between humans and Innovators.
"The Federation will do its best to support the Innovator population. By working together, we hope to bring a peaceful integration into society. I ask the people to try to understand that there is no need to fear the Innovators. There is no reason to see Innovators as a threat to society. We cannot let ourselves be blinded by prejudice and fear of the unknown. We must work towards an understanding that will preserve this time of peace."
Descartes refrained from sneering at the President. Did she honestly believe that Innovators could place their trust in the Federation? It was the Federation who took away his freedom. They forced him into isolation and kept him under their watch. He was nothing more than their lab rat, their tool. The Federation would never be able to coerce humanity to accept the Innovators.
"Allow me to introduce a man who will help you better understand what Innovators are," the President turned towards him and gestured him to step forward.
Descartes rose from his seat and walked slowly towards the podium. All the attention was focused on him, as he felt waves of intrigue resonating from the audience. He smiled for the cameras. The world was watching him.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I am Captain Descartes Shaman, the Federation's first Innovator."
HRL Asia Tower District
Louise sat quietly on the couch, watching the Federation's broadcast. Their apartment was smaller than the ones she and Saji had in lived in back in Japan, but the two made the best of it. And after spending the last two years in a hospital, she preferred living in a cozy apartment with Saji to being alone in a hospital room that smelled too clean. With Saji at work and her having nothing to do, it was the only thing that could ease her boredom.
This was how she spent her days after being released from the hospital. After spending years of her life dedicated to avenging her family, she wasn't sure what to do anymore. Saji would tell her not to worry and say that everything was fine as it was. Things were definitely better than they were before. She and Saji could start their life together, just as she had always hoped back as a student. But even though the panic attacks stopped and her body had recovered from the particle poisoning, there were some wounds that would not heal so easily.
"Taking revenge for your family? I'm doing the same thing. You're not the only one suffering here!" Those words still rang clearly in Louise's mind. Back when she had been part of the A-laws, it had never occurred to her that it had been a person piloting the Gundam. She always saw the Gundam as a monster, as someone who needed to be killed. Always a thing, never a person.
And after killing that pilot, she felt an indescribable sense of joy. It was a moment she had dreamed about, a moment she had spent years preparing herself for. Then she came back to reality. Her family was dead. Her parents hadn't come back to tell her how proud they were. She had avenged her family and gained nothing from it. She was alone.
Even now she was alone. Saji had to work during the day and she didn't know anyone in their neighborhood. She hadn't kept in touch with her classmates from school or with Lieutenant Andrei or any other A-laws soldier. Even if she could contact someone, would she be able to reconnect with them?
Louise mentally slapped herself. She had been given a second chance at life and shouldn't waste it thinking over the past. Depending on Saji so much wasn't something that she should be doing. If anything else, she should learn from her mistakes and move forward. She focused back on the television program. The President had just stepped away from the camera and a man named Descartes Shaman had approached the podium.
"Captain Shaman, have you experienced any physical changes to your body?"
"None as far as I know. My body doesn't feel or look any differently from before."
"When did you first realize you had become an Innovator?"
"My abilities emerged less than two years ago."
"What do you have to say to any future Innovators?"
"I want to tell the future generation of Innovators to not fear their abilities. While they may have some difficulty adjusting to their new senses, in time they will learn to understand that these abilities will broaden their horizons. They will learn more about humanity as I have."
Descartes Shaman didn't look the least bit intimidated by the barrage of question and the attention of the media. He answered the questions with confidence. In fact, it almost looked like he enjoyed the attention being given to him. The smile on his face never faltered.
"Is there anything that you can show us, Captain Shaman? A demonstration would be appreciated."
"Very well. Look closely now," Descartes Shaman closed his eyes for a moment. The camera zoomed closer to his face. When he opened his eyes, Louise saw that they had a strange golden glow to them.
"As you can see, an Innovator can-" The Innovator paused, a look of bewilderment and confusion appearing on his face. It was as if he had been struck. Louise kept her eyes glued to the television, wondering if something had gone wrong.
He could feel it, clear as day. This man, Descartes Shaman, had been able to sense him. Their quantum brainwaves were in contact. Setsuna tried his best to block him, to keep him out of his mind and push his brainwaves away. But no matter how hard he focused, the pressure he felt barely lessened. It was surrounding him, suffocating him. He could not hide himself from Descartes Shaman.
"Who are you?"
Though the voice was barely above a whisper, Setsuna had heard it. When he was around the others, all he could feel with his quantum brainwaves were their emotions. No matter how clear their emotions were, never before had he heard the voice of another person.
He fought against the urge to run. Any sort of sudden movement would only draw attention. No matter how much he wanted to run away, he remained still. He wouldn't run away after making the choice to come here.
The quantum brainwaves gnawed at his consciousness. It was as if Descartes Shaman's consciousness was washing over him, trying to break him down and get into his mind. Setsuna did his best to hide himself and his emotions while trying to push away the other Innovator's quantum brainwaves.
"Are you also an Innovator?" Setsuna's eyes widened. Had the man been able to figure out he was an Innovator just from mental contact?
Setsuna had known that something like this would happen. He had thought that he had been ready for it and could have kept his presence hidden. But the quantum brainwaves coming from Descartes Shaman had been far stronger than he had predicted. Now he was paying the price for his foolishness.
"Where are you? Who are you?" Descartes Shaman's thoughts carried a sense of excitement and curiosity. No doubt he wanted to meet another Innovator.
He was at a loss as to what he should do. Should he respond to Descartes Shaman and begin communicating with him? He considered it for a moment. Would it really be so bad to do so? If they worked together, they might be able to fully realize what Innovators could do with each other. He may even be able to understand himself better.
But even with that in mind, Setsuna knew he couldn't reveal himself. Celestial Being was still operating in secret and revealing himself could ony endanger the others. He couldn't put the rest of the crew at risk.
"Say something. I want to speak with you."
"Stay away!" He hadn't meant to respond so strongly. Descartes quantum brainwaves retreated and the man stood there, unmoving. Setsuna held his breath, waiting to see his next move.
Descartes Shaman returned his attention to the reporters. "Pardon me. It seems there is still much I have to learn about my abilities. Are there any other questions?"
The reporters went back to asking question after question. Setsuna was no longer paying any attention. The sooner the conference was over the better. Lyle seemed to notice his distress.
"Are you alright? Did something happen?" Lyle asked, keeping his voice down.
"I'm fine," Setsuna whispered back. He tried to listen to the conference, but his mind was too distracted.
Had Descartes Shaman given up on finding him or had he actually succeeded and chosen to keep his discovery to himself? How much did he learn from their contact with each other?
Between Lagrange 4 and 5, Celestial Being Asteroid Satellite
The sounds of the computers running and the pressing of buttons were the only noise in the room. Ian stretched his arms, having done nothing but spend his time at the computer for quite a while. Sometimes he just wished that his work would finish itself.
"Is everything going well?" Ian turned and saw his wife enter the room.
"Well, we knew that we couldn't redo the Quantum System overnight. There's still a lot of work to do," Ian had gotten a standard OS done fairly quickly. Once they had finished installing the condensers and making a few touches on the frame, the Qan(T) would be able to go into combat. Its other function was a different story.
The Quantum System was still far from finished. Losing the data had been a great setback for them. Fortunately, they had gotten back on track and the system would be up eventually. If the Quantum System was all he needed to work on, Ian might have had finished most of it. Even with the work on the Qan(T), Zabanya and Harute were still on his mind.
Zabanya's new targeting system was a departure from the one used by Dynames and Cherudim. While they did do some test work, only actual combat would determine how effective it was. They could even add a couple more rifle bits once get data on the new targeting system. Might as well give Lyle what he needed to let loose on his enemies.
Then there was Harute. He would need to check on Allelujah and Marie's quantum brainwaves. After that, there was an idea he had that could improve Harute. If he could utilize their quantum brainwaves with Harute's OS, he may be able to drastically improve its performance.
A communication link opened up on the computer screen. "Mr. Vashti, our sensors have picked up an incoming ship. It seems to be heading in our direction,"
"Give me a visual," A link from the satellite's outer camera appeared on screen. On the camera, Ian saw some sort of shuttle.
"That's not a Federation ship," Linda said. The hatches on the ship opened and out flew eight mobile suits. Looking closely, Ian saw that they were red GN-XIIIs.
"Man the turrets. We need to take down those mobile suits," Ian ordered. Why were mobile suits attacking the satellite?
The enemy mobile suits opened fire on them. The beams hit the satellite, disrupting its optical camouflage. The turrets fired at the suits, but they dodged the attacks with ease. The GN-XIIIs returned fire and destroyed the turrets, rendering the satellite defenseless.
Six GN-XIIs broke through into the satellite's hangar. The last thing Ian saw was two pilots exit their mobile suits before the connection to the camera was lost. The enemy was tearing up their base. Who was targeting them and how did they know their location? More importantly, what was their goal?
The mission plan had been simple. First, they would arrive in the city and have Feldt and Mileina nearby. Then, he and Setsuna would attend the conference. Lyle had expected that Setsuna would have encountered some problems since he was an Innovator. Fortunately, his comrade seemed to have pulled himself together. All they needed to do was leave and meet up with the girls. But before that, Lyle still had his own part of the mission to pull off.
Back when they saved the Azadistan princess, Shirin Bakhtiar recognized his voice. Lyle decided it was best to see Klaus and make sure that they kept quiet about Celestial Being. He hadn't expected Shirin to say anything about them, but it wouldn't hurt to check. He had mentioned this to Miss Sumeragi before they had left and she gave her approval. And it they might even be able to get some information on the Federation. Now all he had to do was find Klaus and set things straight. Besides, he wanted to see if his old friend was doing well.
"Lockon, we should get going," Setsuna kept his voice low. Lyle had forgotten to tell Setsuna about meeting up with Klaus. In hindsight, that probably was a stupid mistake on his part. Well, better late than never.
"Actually, there's still something I need to do for the mission. There's an old friend I need to meet up with. I just going clear up a few things," Lyle explained. For the past couple years, the two of them had been constant partners on all their shadow missions. He knew that Setsuna would trust him.
"Does Miss Sumeragi know about this?" Setsuna asked.
Lyle gave Setsuna a good-natured grin. "Of course. I wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize the mission or our safety. You should know me better than that."
"We'll wait for you at the rendezvous point," That was Setsuna for you. The guy just didn't know when to have a good time.
"You don't have to wait outside for me. We'll meet up somewhere else. Feel free to have some fun while you're waiting," Lyle suggested. Setsuna didn't say anything and left him. Now all he needed to do was find Klaus Grad.
Earthsphere Federation Capital, City District
Mileina and Feldt waited at the rendezvous point a couple blocks away from the Federation headquarters. The conference had lasted only a couple hours. Mileina had had a great time in the city. She never really had a chance to get out. Being born in a secret organization bent on the eradication of war, going up against a corrupt government regime, hiding in secret from said government, and taking part in life-or-death battles tended to hinder a girl's social life. All in all, this day had been a breath of fresh air.
Even Feldt looked like she was having some fun. It took a little bit, but Mileina got her friend to get her mind off of the conference and enjoy the time they had. It was almost like they were two normal girls in the city. As she thought about the day, Mileina spotted Mr. Seiei heading towards their location.
"Setsuna," Feldt walked towards Mr. Seiei, who only nodded in response. He wore the same stoic expression he had perfected. Would it really kill him to say something or at least smile a little?
"Hi there, Mr. Seiei," Mileina said. Looking around, she noticed that Mr. Dylandy was nowhere in sight. "Um, where's Mr. Stratos?
"Lockon's busy. He'll meet up with us later. Let's get going," Mr. Seiei said. They followed him without another word.
The trio walked a few blocks without saying anything to each other. They didn't stop to go into a building or admire the scenery. There seemed to be some tension in the air. Mr. Seiei seemed distant, even more so than usual. Feldt noticed this and was probably trying to figure out how to approach him.
"Setsuna, did the mission go well?" Feldt asked.
Mr. Seiei seemed to think a bit before answering. "I'll give the details in my report."
"You know, I think it might be a good idea if I go back and wait for Mr. Stratos. You two can just go and do your own thing," Mileina suggested. Feldt gave her a sharp look. Mileina just gave the older girl a grin.
"It's best if we stay together. Lockon can take care of himself," It took all of Mileina's willpower to keep herself from smacking her head in frustration. Mr. Seiei was really couldn't take a hint. She had accepted that he and the Azadistan princess weren't romantically involved, even though her woman's intuition had told her differently back then.
Feldt was a different story. While she wasn't overly blatant about her attraction, everyone on the Ptolemaios figured it out eventually. When Mileina figured it out, she was genuinely surprised. It just kind of came out of nowhere. Mileina supported her friend all the same. Unfortunately for Feldt, Mr. Seiei was probably the only one who couldn't pick up on it.
Mr. Seiei stopped suddenly, turning his head towards the street as if he was waiting for something. All Mileina saw were cars driving by. A moment later, a limousine pulled over next to them. The window in the back seat came down.
"Hello, Setsuna," It was a face Mileina had seen years ago. The woman she had just thought about.
"Marina Ismail."
He was too late. The enemy had broken into the satellite. The fact that they hadn't completely destroyed the satellite meant that they were after something. The MS carrier was getting closer to the satellite. Two red GN-XIIIs were positioned outside. A-laws mobile suits? He kept Raphael positioned above the enemy. For some reason, they didn't seem to have noticed him. He opened up a communication channel with the satellite.
"Is that you, Tieria?"Ian asked with a look of panic and surpise etched out on his face.
"Ian, what's going on?"
"They're taking the GN drives and the Qan(T)!"
"I'll stop them," Tieria declared.
Tieria fired his GN cannons at the MS carrier. The blast carved its way through the ship, destroying it completely. The two mobile suits stationed outside of the satellite began opening fire on Raphael. Dodging the beams, Tieria sent out his GN Claws at the enemy. One of his claws latched on to the chest of the GN-XIII and crushed it.
The other mobile suit flew around him, trying to draw his attention. It fired its beam rifle at him. Tieria easily dodged its attacks and retaliated with a well placed shot through its chest. Both enemies had been eliminated. He reconnected with his Claws. That only left those that had broken into the satellite.
As Tieria approached the hangar entrance, two GN-XIIIs flew by him. Before he could respond, another pair also rushed past him, carrying a storage container between them. There was no doubt that that the GN drives were in that container. The two mobile suits carrying the GN drive container began glowing red. Before they could make use of Trans-Am, Tieria destroyed the enemies with two shots. The container was able to withstand the explosions. He sent out Raphael's Claws to carry the container back to the satellite hangar.
Tieria spotted another pair of GN-XIIIs carrying the Qan(T). How had they escaped his notice? The GN-XIIIs carrying the Qan(T) began activating their Trans-Am, giving off a red hue. They blasted off right away. Did they really think that they could get away from him?
"Trans-Am," With three GN Tau drives, Raphael could use Trans-Am more than once. Tieria had kept one use for this battle. He closed the distance between them. One of the GN-XIIIs let go of the Qan(T) and turned to fire its beam rifle. Tieria evaded the attack easily and returned fire with his rifle. As the enemy dodged to the side, Tieria flew past him and closed in on the mobile suit carrying the Qan(T).
The other GN-XIII could see that he could not escape from Raphael. Still in Trans-Am, the enemy pulled out a beam saber. With the GN-XIII holding a beam saber in one hand and the Qan(T) in the other, Tieria prepared himself for the enemy to attack him.
He wasn't prepared for the enemy to slam its beam saber into the Qan(T). The saber tore through the Qan(T)'s body. Tieria aimed Raphael's rifle at the enemy only to be hit by an attack from behind. He saw the other GN-XIII fly by rejoin its comrade. The two GN-XIIIs cradled the pieces of the Qan(T) between them. The red aura began to glow brighter. They were over clocking their Trans-Am.
"No!" The two GN-XIIIs exploded, taking the Qan(T) with them. When the blinding light and smoke cleared, Tieria looked at what was left of the Gundam. Debris floated in front of him. He had failed to save the Qan(T).
A communication link opened and Ian's face appeared on the heads-up display. "Tieria, are you all right?"
"I'm sorry, Ian. I wasn't able to stop them."
"I know. Don't blame yourself like that. We'll just have to start over. Looks like we're really going to need that financer," Ian said.
"I'll get to work after this. Tieria out," The transmission link was cut, leaving Tieria time to collect his thoughts.
Tieria looked at what was left of the Qan(T). Half a head, an arm, and debris were all that was left of the Gundam. All the time and effort they had spent creating the machine to end war had been destroyed in one battle. They might be able to salvage some parts, but it went without saying that they would need to build a new frame. The only problem was getting the materials and to do that they would need to find the right financer.
And there were the two GN-XIIIs that had fled the area. What reason could they have had for running off the way they did? Whatever the reason, it didn't matter in the end. Their enemy knew their current location and could return to attack them once again.
Silence took hold within the limousine. Despite not wanting to, Setsuna could sense the myriad of emotions. Marina seemed glad to see him after such a long time, but unsure what to say and cautious of his companions. Feldt and Mileina were also quiet, waiting for someone else to start a conversation. The two seemed to have some mixed feelings about being here. Marina's assistant kept her eye on the three members of Celestial Being.
When Marina had offered to give them a ride, Setsuna had considered turning down the offer. While he wasn't unhappy to see Marina after all this time, part of him was actually glad to see her, it didn't seem right to come into contact. They were on a mission after all. But Marina had insisted and now they found themselves in the limousine.
"It's nice to see you again, Setsuna," Marina said, breaking the silence.
"Likewise. It's good to see that you're doing well," Setsuna replied. While he hadn't expected to see the Azadistan princess again, he didn't mind meeting her again. Marina was one of the few people who understood him.
"I never had a chance to thank you for everything you've done to help," Marina said.
"There's no need for that," Setsuna muttered as he gazed out the window. As nice as it was to see Marina, the timing wasn't good. There were other things he needed to focus on. The emotions he sensed from the others weren't making things easier for him. He needed solitude to gather his thoughts.
"Helping out is what we do!" Mileina exclaimed. Marina's attention was redirected to Feldt and Mileina.
"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? Marina Ismail," She offered her hand to the two girls. The two looked at Setsuna. He realized that they were wondering if it was alright to give their names to the Azadistan princess. He gave his approval with a nod. They could trust Marina.
"Mileina Vashti," Mileina greeted cheerfully, shaking Marina's hand with enthusiasm. She seemed strangely intrigued. Setsuna couldn't figure out what it why.
"Feldt Grace," Feldt was more reserved but still friendly. Oddly enough, Feldt seemed to give off a hint of discomfort.
"I want to thank you for the hospitality you showed me a few years ago," Marina said, giving them a gentle smile. The Azadistan princess hadn't changed at all. Still kind and gentle even to those she wasn't familiar with.
"It wasn't a problem. From what we can tell, it seems that Azadistan has received aid from the Federation and doing well."
"The people of Azadistan seemed to have embraced peace. There are still some tensions with the Conservatives but it isn't as serious as before and they have taken refrained from taken extreme action. No one wants to repeat the suffering the Middle Eastern countries have had to endure. The people are just glad to have their home back," Marina turned her attention back to Setsuna. "If you have a chance, you should visit Azadistan. Do you remember the children you met a few years ago? I'm sure they would like to see you again."
Setsuna didn't say anything and chose to stare out the window. Hearing that those orphans were living in peace was something that he was glad to hear. With Marina watching them, those children could grow up and live in a peaceful country.
He continued to watch the sights pass by, not paying attention to anything in particular. Then, among the crowd of people waiting at the street corner, Setsuna's eyes focused on one particular sight. On the street corner, stood someone Setsuna had never thought he would see again. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. His body and mind froze, as if he had trouble registering what he saw. Even when the limousine drove past the crowd, Setsuna remained stunned. He wasn't aware of how much time passed by as he sat there.
"Is something wrong, Setsuna?" Marina asked, noticing that Setsuna seemed disturbed. Hearing her voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Stop the car," Setsuna managed to utter the sentence through his shock. He had let too much time pass by. He couldn't let him get away.
"What?"
"Stop the car!" Setsuna shouted, surprising his companions. There's was no time to explain to them what he had seen.
Marina's assistant pressed a button on the side of her seat. "Driver, pull over."
The limousine came to a stop. The moment it did so, Setsuna ran out of the vehicle. He ignored the concerned cries of the others. Mileina and Feldt could take care of themselves from here. Marina could assist them and they could still contact Lyle. What he saw was a far more pressing matter. He desperately hoped that he had been mistaken.
Ian took a good look at Raphael as it landed in the hangar. The design was definitely a departure from Tieria's previous Gundams. With the way it was structured, Raphael wouldn't be able to maneuver properly on Earth. The cockpit opened and a familiar purple suited pilot came into view and floated down to the platform.
"So this is Raphael. Glad to see that the three GN Tau drives worked out well," Though the comment was light hearted, it did little to ease the mood.
"I was worried that the condensers wouldn't have enough power for me to make it here. It was foolish of me not to have them fully charged."
"Don't be too hard on yourself. None of us expected an attack like this," Ian said as Tieria descended to his side. The two left the hangar and made their way to one of the computer labs. Tieria removed his helmet and Ian opened his visor. Neither said a word as they let the severity of the situation settle. The recent attack had certainly damaged their morale. While the GN drives and the other Gundams were still secure, they had lost the Qan(T).
"We'll install the GN drive into Raphael once things cool down over here. We can probably put in some better condensers," Ian said in an attempt to steer their attention away from the Qan(T).
"There's no rush. We'll discuss Raphael at a different time. Right now, we have more important matters to tend to. Have there been any casualties?" Tieria asked.
"We're still checking. Linda will give us a report in a little bit. Hopefully everyone's all right," Ian scratched his head in irritation. "Damn them! We were so close to finishing the Qan(T). How could something like this happen?"
He had tried to keep the Qan(T) out of his mind but had failed. They spent nearly two years building that Gundam. It would have been their greatest mobile suit. Now it was nothing but scrap.
"Whoever attacked us knew that we had the Qan(T) and GN drives. They were also piloting mobile suits with the A-laws' colors. We may be dealing with their remnants. The only question is how did they know our location and about the Qan(T) and GN drives?"
"You don't think that Veda's been compromised again, do you?"
"That shouldn't be possible. I've been within Veda monitoring everything," Even as the words left Tieria's mouth, Ian could see that the mere idea of someone using Veda against them disturbed the him.
Ian sighed. "I guess we should send a message to the Ptolemaios and let them know what happend."
Tieria nodded. "We should also find Allelujah and Marie before whoever attacked us does. We also need to evacuate this satellite as soon as possible."
"So we're going to prepare ourselves for another fight?"
"It seems we have no other choice. I only hope that everyone is alright."
Setsuna dashed down the street, rushing past people and pushing them aside if necessary. Whether they reacted to him didn't matter. He expanded the range of his quantum brainwaves, searching for the person. But no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to find the target. It was as if he was never there.
He told himself that it wasn't possible. There was no way that man could have returned. Not after that battle two years ago. In the mission to retake Veda, that person had been killed in their final battle.
He thought back to that final battle two years ago. He remembered that he had destroyed the 0 Gundam with Exia. The body was destroyed along with the 0 Gundam and Tieria had control of Veda, preventing him from uploading his consciousness somewhere else. He had personally killed that person, the one who claimed to be a god and twisted the world.
But Setsuna knew what he saw. That hair color had been unmistakable and that face was frighteningly familiar. He had wanted to convince himself that it was only an Innovade with the same body type. But it was the look in those eyes and that arrogant smirk that drew Setsuna's attention. Now there were only two questions on Setsuna's mind.
Where was Ribbons Almark and why was he here?
Author's Note: For those of you who wanted to see the Qan(T) in action right away, sorry to disappoint you. From the beginning, I knew that I would be destroying the Qan(T). So for now, I'll be using the 00 Raiser. Sorry, but it'll be a little while before we get to see the Qan(T) in action.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.