Disclaimer: I dont own Gundam
Alistair Blitzkrieg is the property of 00virtuezero
Gundam Seed Destiny or Liberty?
Chapter 19: Alliances
Flay Alster felt a mixture of frustration and happiness. Her frustration stemmed from Sensou having already lost a valued mechanic, the leader of the black ops and a Gundam pilot. Though Nena hadn't been killed in battle, it was reported that she had abandoned her post. Natarle's latest update on the search for the missing colonists wasn't promising, either. Though the team had recovered a prisoner, they had yet to make any further progress. But the near-certainty that Gekido was alive and fighting on the right side of the war filled Flay with joy, although she still felt angry that he hadn't contacted his old comrades. There was another reason for her to be happy – Sensou would now officially sign a treaty with ZAFT, forming a solid alliance. This would enable them to fight the Earth Alliance as a single united force, combining all of their strength together. At the beginning of the war, many of Sensou's financial backers had cancelled their funding. But Sensou now had a chance of getting more funding than ever as an ally of ZAFT.
Sensou and ZAFT were not the only groups allying themselves. Orb would inevitably join the Earth Alliance and Dagger Thanos himself had formed numerous allegiances, most of which were temporary until he formed a solid base on Earth. Though the Kingdom of Azadistan had denied offers of an alliance from both the Atlantic Federation and Thanos's own faction, the land was still overrun by terrorists and warmongering. The kingdom's representative simply lacked the killer instinct to settle the terrorist problem the way it needed to be solved. However, not all terrorist organisations had rejected Dagger's offer to ally. One organisation, known as Kataron, felt that Dagger would be the one to change Earth Alliance policies and had decided to become their allies.
"I can't believe we're fighting alongside terrorists…" Lain said quietly as she prepped her Zaku Kai for launch.
"Don't forget, Lain – one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. But this group below us are merely common thugs, they just happen to have a fancier base than ours." Cairo explained, floating towards his own mobile suit.
He would be piloting a Zaku Kai also, but like the other elite units it had two eyes instead of a mono-eye. Cairo's machine was heavy, the way his machines tended to be and had been modified with desert camouflage. Missile launchers had been attached to the wrists and heavy linear cannons were fused to his Zaku's back. The Zaku was equipped with a heat halberd instead of an axe. Meanwhile, their leader climbed into his Black Gundam. Dagger closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hands squeezed the controls, his heart pumping quickly.
"Tell me Lain, are you scared?" Cairo asked.
"No sir." Lain hastily replied.
"Really… Well, the Commander's terrified." Cairo smiled, looking over at his long-time friend's machine.
Dagger opened his eyes and slid his faceplate down.
"All units, begin drop towards the rebel base." Dagger ordered.
Red eyes began to light up as the Zaku Kais of the Black Storm unit activated. The Black Gundam moved on ahead first, holding its shield out for re-entry. Grunt units used small landing craft, designed to shield them from re-entry while groups of pilots used landing pods. The moment Black Storm touched the clouds, they were welcomed by linear cannon fire.
"Damn it Alistair, why haven't you taken out those linear guns?" Cairo demanded, annoyed.
"We are not prepared for this kind of mission – even with the reinforcements from Kataron, these rebels have us at a major disadvantage. We can't even move our forces in! Bob, lay down some fire!" Alistair Blitzkrieg ordered one of the pilots.
An extremely heavy mobile suit hovered around Alistair's red CGUE. The heavy mobile suit had sandy armour and looked more like a tank with arms. It folded out a massive 680 mm cannon and took aim at the rebel forces. The rebel forces consisted of GINNs, ZuOOTs, BuCUEs and the nimble and slim jet type mobile suits known as Hellions. Alistair's CGUE threw its hand forward, commanding the Xemel to fire its cannon. The heavy type mobile suit fired its main gun, crushing a ZuOOT's cockpit. Zaku Kais and Black GINNs fired their rifles at the air, trying to bring down the Hellions. But the Hellions were much faster machines, bombarding the newly-grounded forces with shots from their linear rifles.
"Where do you think this group got all of its funding?" Lukas asked Leons as they ran across the field.
The PMC Astray sliced a GINN in half with its sabre, while the Strike E threw its beam boomerang. The boomerang sliced several BuCUEs in half before returning to his hand.
"They couldn't have possibly amassed all of this defence just by stealing from the local government – linear cannons don't come cheaply." Leons muttered darkly.
Lukas blocked several bullets before firing his short beam rifles back at several GINNs. The GINNs took cover, but were promptly shot apart by a Black Storm DINN. Dagger looked down the sight of his sniper rifle as he dropped towards the linear cannon. His warning alarm blazed and he moved his Gundam to the right, narrowly dodging a shot from the linear cannon. Rebel GINNs and ZuOOTs pointed towards the sky as the Black Gundam began firing its rifle, sending green beams slamming into the ground and throwing BuCUEs and GINNs off-balance. Hellions flew at the Black Gundam, only to be shot at by the Zaku Kais. Lain fired her beam rifle, shooting down several Hellions. The drop pods opened, releasing the Zaku Kais.
"Why do terrorists like these have access to such powerful tech?" Alistair queried, ducking his CGUE to provide covering fire.
"They're being funded by an outside faction of considerable power." Dagger responded.
Lain jumped off of her landing platform and ignited her mobile suit's rockets, flying closer and closer towards the ground. Cairo fired his missiles, bombing a group of GINNs.
"Lain, watch yourself, from this height and speed the Zaku Kais won't survive landing! Pull the pin on your parachute!" Cairo ordered.
Lain nervously tapped the buttons on her parachute control. She had to fight harder; otherwise her precious comrades would die. Her parachute slowed her fall and she kept on firing her beam rifle, attempting to clear a landing zone even if it cost her her life.
"Lain, don't fight so hard, you'll get yourself killed. And I thought Marcus was the reckless one." Cairo sighed.
The bulky man widened his eyes as he saw a ground type Hellion aiming its machine gun. Its target was Lain, and the trajectory would allow for a definite kill shot. Lain gasped, realising that even if she unclipped her parachute, the other Hellions would just shoot her to pieces.
"LAIN!" Cairo screamed.
"DIE, SPACE MONSTER!" The Hellion pilot yelled.
Suddenly, a beam pierced the Hellion's cockpit. The other Hellions turned around, their pilots taken aback in surprise. Marcus's Zaku charged towards the Hellions, firing his beam rifle and lifting his heavy assault sword. Bullets bounced off of his machine's armour, clipping it repeatedly. But Marcus kept charging on. Then he swung his sword around, cleaving two Hellions in half. He stabbed another in the chest and slashed through another Hellion's cockpit. Lain unclipped her parachute, landing behind Marcus and shooting a Hellion beside him.
"Marcus, you shouldn't be so reckless!" Lain scolded, failing to see the irony.
Marcus raised his eyebrow while Cairo shook his head. Dagger used his thrusters to slow his fall while firing his shoulder cannon at the linear guns. He drew his red beam sabre as he landed, causing the rebel pilots to freeze in shock and awe. The man didn't give them a moment to react, immediately charging ahead. The Black Gundam sliced one of the GINNs in half and dragged its sabre across the side of one of the linear cannons. Still he kept moving forward, the linear cannon exploding behind him.
"THEY'RE BREAKING THROUGH!" One of the rebels yelled.
Dagger ran his Gundam across the battlefield, slicing through several more rebel mobile suits. He span around, cutting down a GINN and then jumping into the air. As he landed, the former ZAFT commander drew another sabre, splitting two Hellions in half. Alistair drew his CGUE's anti-ship sword and led his forces in a charge towards the rebel base.
"Marcus, this group was financed by someone in a position of power, right?" Lain inquired.
"Yes, at the very least they possess a lot of money and there's no doubt that Sensou has begun investigating the matter. But they won't find much, seeing as it's not just mercenary companies profiting from this war. Kataron gives us shelter because they believe that we can change the system, Nena Trinity has given us Intel because she believes that we will avenge the deaths of her lover and brothers… that is how they profit. It doesn't necessarily have to be money – remember that, Lain. Not everyone within every faction is righteous, and even the people who fight "to end all war" are imperfect beings." Marcus's speech seemed to echo through the radio channels as the Thanos army ripped apart the Rebel forces.
Lain surveyed the battlefield, watching as her fellow soldiers, people she knew to be good men and women, showing no mercy to a band of criminals. Dagger flew downwards, blasting several GINNs as he headed straight for the Rebel leader. The Rebel leader used a LaGOWE, a prototype unit used by Waltfeld in the last war.
"Bastard, you come here and kill my men without mercy when all we wanted was to was change the system!" The leader shouted, slamming his hand against his armrest.
Dagger's face appeared on the leader's screen. The Admiral's eyes showed little emotion as he talked down to the leader.
"You attempted to overthrow the Azadistan government. Then you bullied merchants and business owners simply trying to import their products to other regions. They tried to improve their homeland through the expansion of their business and the understanding of other cultures. You mock the young representative of your neighbouring homeland, a land you were once privileged to live in. But you can no longer blame the Alliance for your current situation – the one who chose to take the path of a thug was yourself. It is you who is responsible." Dagger explained as he finished off the last of the resistance.
"To hell with you, to hell with the Alliance and to hell with Marina Ismail! SHE WILL LEAD THIS COUNTRY TO DESTRUCTION!"
The LaGOWE ignited its beam fangs and began running towards the Zaku Kais and Black GINNs. Suddenly, the Red CGUE sword landed between the Zakus and the LaGOWE. But the rebel leader had become a madman; not even the presence of a machine that clearly belonged to an ace could stop him.
"Admiral Thanos, what are your orders?" Alistair asked.
"Kill him." Dagger said simply.
Alistair nodded his head as he drew a beam sabre. The LaGOWE lurched towards the CGUE and with one swing of his arm, Alistair slashed the LaGOWE in half. As soon as the two ends of the LaGOWE touched the ground, cheering erupted throughout the battlefield. Thanos and his faction now had a place where they could set up a base. Michelle and the contingent of forces in space would build the Kyusai station, named after the last alias Dagger's adopted son had used. Dagger lowered his head, recalling his bitter final memories of Akushi.
"God, I hate getting used to gravity, it makes me realise how much weight I need to lose." Cairo moaned as he climbed out of his cockpit.
"I don't mind it, you're not that fat." Lain grinned as she climbed out of her own machine.
Marcus shook his head, already flipping over a page in his book. Alistair climbed out of his CGUE and walked over to Cairo and Lain.
"Well done out there Blitzkrieg, you've been leading the ground forces well. Play your cards right and Dagger might put you in charge of your own unit." Cairo declared, chuckling as he patted Alistair's back.
"Um, thank you sir." Alistair said.
Lain blinked and tilted her head, recognising the young man's voice. She widened her eyes as he slipped off his helmet, revealing a mess of dark blue hair and green eyes. There was a moment's pause as the man's appearance sank in. Marcus sighed and Cairo closed his eyes, they knew Lain wouldn't be able to resist pointing out the obvious.
"You look like…"
"ATHRUN ZALA!"
There were four things Athrun wasn't expecting. One was a Lacus Clyne impersonator whom he was pretty sure had a crush on him. Second was being offered a Gundam and a position back in the ZAFT military. The third and biggest shock was the unexpected arrival of Gekido Jaeger. But something else that well and truly surprised him came during a reunion with Yzak. He certainly wasn't expecting to be punched across the face.
"You bastard, what the hell were you doing at Junius Seven?" Yzak demanded, rubbing his knuckles.
Athrun could only smile apologetically. "I tried to help. It's good to see you two, by the way. I knew I should have visited more often."
"It's good to see you too, Athrun. So…what should we do?" Dearka asked.
"And if you say 'go shopping', I'll kill you." Yzak growled.
Athrun chuckled. On the surface, his old teammates were just as he remembered them. But they had all changed, grown into men and gained an awareness of the world they hadn't had previously. The war had forced them to grow and understand the system they worked in. Yet Athrun always felt that his two friends were better than him. In spite of knowing the true nature of ZAFT, they still remained in active service. They worked on the inside of the military to try and change it for the better.
"I was thinking of visiting the others." Athrun said solemnly.
Yzak and Dearka both nodded their heads. Tragically, the other members of the Le Creuscet team hadn't survived the war. They had been together since the academy, with Miguel like a mentor to his younger fellow pilots. Nicole and Rusty's graves had been treated well and Athrun knew that Yzak and Dearka visited often. Fresh flowers had been left at Miguel's grave, no doubt by his mother and brother. In fact, a large majority of the graves had been well kept… with the exception of one that had been riddled with graffiti and scratches.
Athrun frowned. "People still don't know what Akushi really did?"
"Do we call him Akushi or Kyusai? His names get really confusing." Dearka sighed.
"It doesn't matter. He sacrificed all of his bonds to learn the truth…but it still didn't make a difference." Athrun stated.
"That's why we joined the military, Athrun – we want to make a difference. You should come back to ZAFT and try to do the same." Yzak asserted.
Athrun lowered his head, looking down at Nicol and Miguel's graves. Nicol fought to make a difference to all of the PLANTs, while Miguel fought to change the life of his little brother. Both had equally noble reasons to fight. Athrun had fought to protect and left when it was clear that he was no longer protecting anything. But now he had been given the opportunity to fight again. This time… he would get it right.
ZAFT patrols throughout space were on a minimum alert. After the devastating counterattack by Gekido and Casvall the Earth Alliance began to rethink their attack strategies. This gave ZAFT and Sensou forces the opportunity to rest. Noah Bagal sat lazily at his captain chair, looking out at the remains of Earth Alliance mobile suits.
"All of this damage was done by a guy in a Zaku… ha, he really is deserving of the red!" Ruther laughed.
"True, only exceptional pilots should receive the colour red." Linda reflected, surprising most of her teammates with her opinion.
"They're practically giving the red coat out at academy nowadays, exams aren't half as hard as they used to be!" Noah complained.
Alan cleared his throat, trying to gain their attention. "Commander, about this alliance with Sensou… I wanted to know, what is your opinion of it?"
"You've obviously got something on your mind, old man. You want to know what I think? Having Sensou on our side improves the odds of winning, but the EA is going to do something to compensate." Noah explained.
"Meaning that the Earth Alliance will reach out to outside parties like mercenary companies. Maybe even former Uragiri pilots." Shadi theorized.
"Not all of the Uragiri pilots were killed – some disappeared, but others went back to leading normal lives as most soldiers do." Sochiro added.
"You know, it would have been easier if we'd killed them. You could have just given me five minutes alone with each of them and I'd have been done in a week." Ruther burst into laughter.
Sochiro slapped his brother across the back of the head. Noah sighed, shaking his head at Ruther's bloodthirsty nature. When he'd heard about what Vincent had done a year ago he'd laughed, as if he'd been told an entertaining joke. And although the other pilots (even Shadi, who had every right to damn Vincent), believed in the necessity of his actions, there were still those who, to that very day, disagreed
"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Alan asked.
"Old man, just say what's on your mind." Noah huffed.
"I look out there and I see the kind of damage that a weapon like a Cyclops system would do. Gekido Jaeger is an honourable man, yet his loyalties has always been to his own beliefs above all else. What happens if there comes a day when Durandal and Gekido's beliefs differ? And then there is this Casvall. He's undoubtedly an excellent pilot, but much of his background before his service in Sensou is unknown. The only people that knew anything about him are either confirmed dead or missing in action. Can a man like that truly be trusted? He may just be hiding his own agenda." Alan opined.
Noah thought for a moment about the point Alan had put across. Closing his eyes, he remembered the fighting style of the mute pilot. He considered Alan's words as well as the possibility of Casvall leading his own revolution. Finally, he smiled and chuckled at the idea. Alan fell off his chair, looking at Noah in shock.
"Can't you take anything seriously?" He cried.
"You know me, my friend. Nothing gets me down." Noah casually explained.
Back on Earth, the Minerva had just broken through the Atlantic Federation fleet. The crew of the battleship celebrated their victory, as well as the achievements of the Gundam pilots. Shinn had duly been surrounded by his fellow crewmembers.
"That was incredible Shinn, what happened?" Luna exclaimed.
"I don't know… Suddenly, my mind just felt really clear, and then I felt this burst of adrenaline." Shinn responded, just as confused.
"Must have been dumb luck." Joe muttered.
Branden and Kojiro climbed out of their machines and removed their helmets, nodding to one another. They had both witnessed what Shinn had just achieved and the sudden change in his performance had come as a surprise. But not to Silver Mask, the only one who didn't have anything to say about Shinn's actions. Even Rey gave Shinn a small nod of recognition. Kojiro and Branden walked up to Talia as she and Arthur walked onto the deck. Sheryl took the front, saluting the captain together with her collection of mechanics.
"Did Sensou only send us two pilots?" Arthur whined.
"Look bub, you're lucky you're being sent reinforcements at all and honestly, I'm all you need." Branden boasted.
"Branden, enough." Sheryl chided the young man.
"We deeply appreciate the help that Sensou is giving us. Thank you for coming to our aid." Talia said respectfully.
"It's no problem really, I'm just glad that my team and I will be in the middle of the war and not just sitting on the sidelines. Commander Rach thinks that the Minerva has an important role to play in the war; it's why he ordered us to come here. Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners! My name is Sheryl Mercis, Engineering Chief for Sensou." Sheryl explained.
Sheryl offered Talia her hand, which the Captain shook without hesitation.
"Once again, thank you, I'll have members of the crew escort you to your quarters." Talia said.
Silver Mask didn't waste time introducing himself. He walked over to the elevator and went to the crew deck. As he walked back to his quarters, the members of Sensou began introducing themselves to the Minerva crew. Nia approached Branden and Kojiro with hostile eyes.
"Hey, you two! Where the fuck is Vin- I mean Commander Rach?" She demanded.
Branden and Kojiro just looked at one another.
'Strange girl' they simultaneously thought.
Silver Mask closed the door shut behind him and locked it firmly. He removed his helmet, putting it on the table and taking a water container from the drawer. It was a process he repeated throughout the day. The mask was smooth, although wearing it for long periods of time made him feel stuffy. But he was slowly getting used to the mask, while showering and drinking water were simply things he did for survival. One day he was sure that the mask would feel like a part of his own body.
"Silver Mask sir, you have a communication channel waiting for you on the bridge." Meyrin's voice came over the intercom.
He'd modified his room's intercom to audio only. The last thing he needed was people getting a look at his face.
"I'll take the call soon, have Captain Gladys and Officers Trine and Mercis come up as well. My intuition tells me that they'll be interested in seeing this." Silver Mask explained.
He put on his mask and walked towards the door. Branden and Kojiro had changed into uniform and walked with their guides, Youlan and Vino.
"This is the cafeteria and down one floor we've got the gym. Your rooms also have computers for running simulations." Youlan said.
"Calculations on the probability of victory, I did that a few times for Sakon… but in the real world he beat me every time." Branden pointed out.
"I think the point Branden is trying to make is that actual mobile suit combat simulators would be more effective." Kojiro attempted to clarify.
"Oh, no, he beat me even when I used those." Branden lowered his head, thinking of the skill that the One Eyed Dragon had displayed.
Silver Mask walked onto the elevator, looking Branden and Kojiro in the eyes. He then turned his back to them as the door closed. Vino and Youlan looked at one another in confusion. Kojiro and Branden, however, regarded the masked man with a mix of confusion and suspicion.
"I apparently have a call waiting." Silver Mask said calmly as he walked onto the bridge.
Talia, Arthur and Sheryl stood either side of the briefing map. Meyrin relayed the caller through the bridge's main screen. The glow of the eye on Silver Mask's helmet faded. For a moment he squeezed his hand into a fist as he looked at the caller. Arthur widened his eyes while Sheryl and Talia regarded the caller cautiously.
"Paptimus Scirocco." Silver Mask growled.
"Silver Mask… I never thought I'd see you alive and well. Unless you're someone else behind that mask?" Scirocco asked, feigning innocence.
"And I never thought that my identity was any of your business."
"I am merely an observer, but this conflict may just be the best thing that has happened to Earth."
"How can you say something like that?" Sheryl exclaimed.
"Ah, Miss Mercis, with your resume you could have gotten a colony development job anywhere you wanted… why did you join Sensou, I wonder? Although considering what's going on with independent colonies now, you were probably right to have stayed on Earth." Scirocco drawled.
"Cut the pleasantries, why did you contact us?" Silver Mask probed.
"I wish to save the people of Earth from the corruption of their so-called "Alliance" and you'll find that Durandal has a similar goal. If our goals are so similar, then it makes no sense for us to fight, correct? Thus, I wish to join the Sensou and ZAFT alliance."
"Sorry, but you can't just say you're going to join, there's an application process." Silver Mask remarked dryly, crossing his arms.
"Your sarcasm is noted, but I have a proposition. Over the years I have collected a large amount of Intel on Earth Alliance activities, including what they're up to in Orb. I would willingly give you this information in exchange for an alliance." Scirocco responded.
"A good offer… but there's a string attached, right?" Sheryl asked.
"But of course. Silver Mask must be the one to pick up the data."
"Only one mobile suit? That's crazy!" Arthur cried.
Scirocco laughed while Talia frowned at her XO. She knew that Silver Mask was a survivor. Her concern was for her ship and crew, not the mysterious man her former lover put so much faith in.
"I am willing, but only if the Captain allows it." Silver Mask said.
"I will allow it, but the Minerva will remain a short distance away from the meeting point, on condition red, and with our weapons ready. Our mobile suits will also be ready to launch and we will retain contact with Carpentaria. That way, ZAFT brass will know of any betrayal on your account." Talia stated.
"Very well, my assistant Mr Londe will send you the coordinates of the pick-up point. Good luck, Captain. I look forward to our future cooperation with one another." Scirocco continued to smile as she cut the communication.
Instantly, Meyrin received a set of detailed coordinates that indicated where to meet. Scirocco was clearly counting on them saying yes as the pick up point was very close to the Minerva's position.
Meanwhile, Vincent stood in front of the Purpose Mark 2, looking up at the machine. The giant looked down at him, its eyes glowing curiously.
"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Vincent asked.
The mobile suit simply nodded its head.
"Can you talk back?"
This time the mobile suit was hesitant. It looked towards a small hill and began dragging its finger across the dirt. Vincent climbed into the cockpit of his ReZEL, giving himself a clear view of what had been written.
"Linguistic speech cant do"
Vincent rubbed his burn marks, clearly the Purpose was still learning. It was kneeling on the dirt, waiting for Vincent to respond.
"Do you know what you are?"
"Purpose 2, got brothers but they still empty"
"By "empty", you mean they haven't developed awareness yet, right?" Vincent inquired.
The Gundam nodded its head.
"So… you want to join me?"
Again the Gundam nodded its head, like a child answering a teacher.
"Why would you want to follow me?"
This time the Gundam paused, tapping its head as it thought. It pressed its finger to the ground and began dragging it across the dirt. Vincent watched the machine curiously as it wrote out a short message. The Gundam stood up and moved its hand into a thumbs up position.
"I want to find something to protect"
Vincent gazed at the machine in astonishment. Clearly, this machine was very unique amongst those with artificial intelligence. It wanted to learn, yet at the same time it wanted to find a goal in its "life".
"Very well, come with me Purpose and I'll take you to a place where you can find what you're searching for." Vincent said with a smile as he held his fist out.
The Gundam tilted its head as it considered Vincent's fist. For a moment it contemplated punching it. Instead, the machine just raised its finger, lightly tapping Vincent's hand. Vincent nodded his head and climbed into the ReZEL. Once the door was closed he cringed in pain, waving his hand around.
"That's the last time I do something like that!" He cried.
Vincent flew the ReZEL into the air, transforming it to wave rider mode. The Purpose followed behind it, switching to jet mode. Both aircraft began their respective flights back towards the Minerva, unaware of what was watching them. The cloaked machine hefted its rifle onto its shoulder before it flew away as well.
In the PLANTs, two significant things had just happened. The first was Flay signing Chairman Durandal's treaty. With her signature, Sensou and ZAFT were now officially allies and would share Intel, reinforcements along with mobile suit technology. Flay shook Durandal's hand while the journalists clapped around them. Though outwardly the girl was pleased, inwardly she kept close eyes on the Lacus Clyne impersonator. She made a mental note to gather evidence on her background; finding out her real name to start with. But she wouldn't let her dislike of Durandal's plan get in the way of Sensou and ZAFT working together. On a more positive note, the second significant thing happened to be Athrun finally deciding to take action. He now stood in a ZAFT red uniform, with Durandal giving him a medal designated to Faith members.
"I want you to go to the Minerva. I believe that they have an important role to play in this war, much like the Archangel before them." Durandal said, smiling kindly.
Athrun nodded his head while Flay put her hand to her chin. Why would Durandal make such a comparison? When Flay really thought about it, the Archangel was better known for it's betrayal of the Earth Alliance rather than what it had achieved in Africa and in space. Yet Meer could barely contain her delight as Athrun put his Faith badge on. She was really enjoying her new role.
"Chairman Alster, you can stay if you'd like. We could book a hotel room for you in an instant."
"I apologise Chairman, but I must get back to the Asgard. Good luck on Earth, Athrun" Flay graciously declined and saluted Athrun.
He saluted back, belatedly realising that the girl was mocking him. Flay and her secretary floated down the hallway.
"I want you to start researching the Lacus impersonator. Try to find if there are records of anyone capable of emulating her voice, and if any of them have had plastic surgery over the last year." Flay explained.
"Why ma'am?" Her secretary asked, puzzled.
"Because I need to know why Durandal wants a Lacus he can control. But speak of this to no one, alright? As far as the regular forces are concerned, Lacus Clyne is in the PLANTs doing good."
"But ma'am, our people – don't they have a right to know?"
"If they did know, it would distract them from the war. I want Sensou and ZAFT to be allies; I want our men to become friends. That way if, god forbid, we ever do leave ZAFT, there will be a chance that everyone will refuse to fight one another."
It was much harder for friends to fight. Athrun and Kira were proof of that struggle. But not every bond of friendship was as strong as theirs. Even now their friendship was shaky at best. Athrun prepped the Saviour for launch, wearing a purple version of the Ace ZAFT flight suit.
"Athrun Zala, Saviour launching!" He declared.
The Saviour activated its red Phase Shift armour and began flying up, out of the hanger bay. Flay looked out of her shuttle, watching the Saviour fly away. She hoped that Athrun knew what he was doing.
The Thanos Army had begun construction of its new headquarters, or rather, the upgrade the old rebel base with better equipment and defences. Michelle had also begun construction of a station in space. A small mining colony had offered its aid to Thanos, providing them with materials and even mobile suits. Michelle's Zaku Kai flew around the construction site of the Kyusai station. New mobile suits were loaded onto the ships. They were space mobile suits and prototypes exclusively for the special pilots that Thanos had liberated from the Jupiter Newtype lab. These red mobile suits were designated Geara Doga Psycommu System Test types, or Geara Psycho for short. Dagger had plans to build Geara Dogas as mass production units. But for now, these ten mobile suits would have to be exclusive to the special pilots.
"Ensign Quattro, send signal flares to the Hellhound and Reaper squadrons, signal them to alter their patrol course." Michelle ordered one of the soldiers.
The Zaku Kai pilot raised his bazooka, launching several flares away from the Kyusai station. These flares lit up with green light, signalling nearby ships to alter their patrol routes. Michelle's plan was simple if deceptive. It was a test for the special pilots as well as the Earth Alliance. If the Alliance moved to attack the base while civilian contractors were there, then the Thanos faction would have another reason to fight the Alliance. The battle would also be an opportunity to test the combat capabilities of not just the Psycommu system, but of the Newtype pilots as well.
Back on Earth, Lain was barbecuing burgers for the pilots in a tent. They lined up, taking the meat and water freely given to them by the people of Azadistan as repayment for ridding the region of its terrorist threat. Lain smiled and laughed as the 'tough' soldiers sniffed her cooking.
One of the pilots made a compliment. "Great job Lain! Damn, I wish you were still on kitchen duty permanently."
"The spices and vegetables came from a merchant in Azadistan, and I'm fine with being a pilot nowadays, thank you." Lain smiled.
Another pilot sighed quietly. "Still… it doesn't change the fact that people in ZAFT are living like kings while we're stuck eating in trenches."
Dagger stood in the small briefing tent that had been prepared. He was going over the faction's next move with Cairo, Marcus, Sanada and Krauss.
"I will begin a televised conference condemning the Earth Alliance for their actions, as well as exposing the activities of the Phantom Pain unit. The president will of course deny this, but this will not stop us from rallying people to our cause. We already have the support of the space colonies, at least those whom haven't fallen victim to these abductions." Dagger explained.
"What should we do about it?" Cairo asked.
"Nothing, for now. Sensou and ZAFT have already deployed investigation teams."
"I think we should begin an assault on ZAFT while they are still weak – you still have supporters within the PLANTs, sir." Sanada offered.
"No, our focus should be on gathering the support of the people." Krauss interjected.
"The people are a mob that is easily influenced. Even if we do expose the Alliance, there will be pests within the civilian population that refuse to see reason." Marcus said in response.
"How do we know that you're not one of those people? You were born on Earth, know nothing of the hardships Coordinators and Spacenoids experien-"
"ENOUGH!" Dagger bellowed, interrupting his troops before they could start an argument. "Coordinator, Natural, Earthborn, Spacenoid, Newtype…these titles are merely excuses for us to hate one another. If we are incapable of changing that hate amongst the people then that is their choice, their liberty, but so long as all of you are a part of my army then you will abide by the rules and ideals you agreed to follow when you joined me! One person cannot change the world, but one person can change themselves and the life of someone closest to them. Change yourselves for the better, and then change the lives of your subordinates." The Admiral spoke with a passion befitting a leader, and an authority that a soldier required.
"Sir, our scouts have reported an incoming machine!" A soldier shouted, bursting into the tent.
"He's here." Dagger spoke lowly.
"Who, sir?" Marcus inquired, frowning in confusion.
"Our greatest ally."
Dagger walked out of the tent and through the crowds of soldiers gathered around the machine that had landed. It was a white mobile suit with blue armour and massive rockets on its shoulders. The mobile suit had a roman style helmet and a green visor. It opened its cockpit, revealing a man in full military uniform. The Thanos soldiers whispered amongst themselves, recognising Treize Khushrenada. He climbed out of his machine and walked towards Dagger. The two men looked one another in the eye and smiled as they shook hands. This was how the two men formed their alliances, not with paper but with promises.
The Minerva swiftly approached the coordinates sent by Scirocco. Silver Mask climbed into the Aero Gundam, while Rey, Nia and Joe remained on standby.
"So we're going into a potential trap because some prick from Jupiter says he wants to join us?" Nia asked, disgusted.
"Silver Mask seems confident it isn't a trap." Joe shrugged, keeping his face neutral. "Still… be on your guard."
"Silver Mask, Aero Gundam launching!"
The Aero Gundam flew out of the Minerva, transforming to mobile suit mode as it made its way to the island. Silver Mask gripped his controls tightly, checking both his radar and communicator. Suddenly, heat sources appeared on his radar. He flipped the Aero upwards, dodging a blast fired from the island.
"Fuck, I knew this was a trap!" Nia shouted.
"ALL HANDS GO TO CONDITION RED!" Talia commanded.
Branden and Kojiro put their pilot suits on and began running towards their own Gundams. Silver Mask flew the Aero downwards, keeping his eyes on the heat sources. Oddly, they appeared strikingly familiar to him. Talia and Arthur both looked at the machines approaching the Minerva with wide eyes. Meyrin looked at the mobile suit database, quickly identifying the group of mobile suits.
"Kratoses ma'am, we have Kratos mobile suits approaching us!" Meyrin said, panicked.
"How many and where are they approaching us from?" Talia demanded.
"Ma'am, I'm counting… thirty machines!" One of the crewmembers gasped.
"They're surrounding us Captain!" Arthur added.
"The battalions are breaking off and converging on Silver Mask's unit." Meyrin clarified.
Talia narrowed her eyes at the red machines as they approached the jet-like Gundam. However, Silver Mask only chuckled at the sudden change in situation.
"Scirocco, you ruthless bastard, there are better ways for you to confirm who I am but I suppose I can understand your reasons. If an amateur took the mask he wouldn't last seconds against a threat like this. But if it was the original or say, a professional ace who took the mask, then this threat would just be an annoyance to them! COME ON LOST SERVANTS OF URAGIRI! FACE ME AND DIE!" Silver Mask roared.
They were fast asleep, putting their future plans on hold to enjoy the temporary peace they still could. Lacus and Kira had finally decided to rise up and make the difference they knew they could. In the morning, they would prepare to go to the PLANTs. There, they seek an explanation from the Chairman and Gekido… or at least, that was what they intended to do. General Sin had other plans. He was the general of assassination; tonight, he and his men would dispose of the Ultimate Coordinator.
"All units, move in!" He ordered.
If things didn't go as planned then the assassins had mobile suits they could use to destroy the house. Unbeknownst to the assassins however, another mobile suit was on its way to the island. Its cloak flapped with the wind and its single eye glowed the colour of fire. His mission was simple – destroy those who dare to threaten his friends.
Next Chapter 20: Resurrected wings
Hope everyone enjoyed the update, one again credit goes to Nameunderconstruction for editing. next time we see the return of the Freedom and another legendary mobile suit, but whose the pilot?