Disclaimer: I dont own Gundam
Hey guys, I'm back with the first part of a take on the Attack the Lohengrin episode. Sensou and ZAFT recover from Vincent's accident and begin their first step to taking Earth Alliance territory. 00virtuezero edited and added in some scenes. The end of the chapter will also see the glorious (named after the song from the Another Century Episode 2 game) trailer for my next fic Gundam Purpose Rise, or Gundam Rise Purpose. There have been trailers in my other fics but this one really sets the enjoy the story
Gundam Seed Destiny or Liberty
Chapter 27: A half ready job, attack the Lohengrin
News had spread fast of the incident that hospitalised Vincent. Flay sighed as she read Sheryl's report. For now Sensou's commanding authority in combat situations was inactive and all responsibilities turned to Flay. She assigned troops and did everything she could to return things to normal. But still she could not stop the surge of mail that came from Vincent's loyal soldiers, nor could she prevent the incident from being leaked to the public. That's why she allowed Durandal to make the announcement concerning Vincent's fate. The Dark haired man stood in the TV station with cameras gathered around him.
"I announce with great regret that due to an unfortunate malfunction in equipment Commander Vincent Rach of the Sensou forces has been left in critical condition. Commander Rach is a good man and a valuable contributor to Earth's continued peace and the independence of the colonies, but despite his accident I remain confident that the Commander will be back on duty and protecting the Plants from harm," Durandal explained.
But while ZAFT and Sensou forces on the battlefield were resuming their duties, the Minerva crew was beginning to grow tense due to ZAFT's involvement in Vincent's accident.
"Your commander shouldn't have kept details of a captured mobile doll secret, he should have told us," one ZAFT soldier said.
"Agreed, but it was your comrades that turned on a device they had no experience in using," a Sensou pilot said.
The crowd of Sensou and ZAFT soldiers glared at one another, inches from beginning a fistfight.
"Its because of ZAFT's incompetence!"
"That thing was built by Natural scientists wasn't it?"
All out fists fights would have broken out between the supposedly allied forces, if not for the cool heads of the officers. Vincent's dream of a united ZAFT and Sensou force was now under threat. But the Alliance itself was a small concern to the crew of the Minerva. Arthur took Shinn and his friends to the medical bay, where Kojiro and Branden waited. Nia sat on one of the benches, listening to her music. She kept her head low and squeezed her music player in frustration. The Minerva pilots all looked hesitantly at the med bay door, whilst Branden paced around the room. Kojiro watched his friend walk around, recognising Branden's anger. Suddenly, Branden punched the wall, causing Meyrin to jump.
"Damn it, if it wasn't for that damn machine, none of this would have happened," he growled.
"Branden, Tieria had no way of…"
"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT MACHINE!" Branden yelled.
"The Purpose," Shinn muttered, squeezing his hands into fists.
"That thing gets curious and because of that curiosity the Commander's in there fighting for his life," Branden growled, smacking the wall again.
Meanwhile, Sheryl walked to the med bay after informing the other Sensou commanders of the incident. She held her communicator, an image of Tieria Erde appearing before her eyes.
"Our observers informed us of Commander Rach's injuries, if there was some way I could help then I would," Tieria said.
"Celestial Being and the Innovators have far greater technology than ours, could they heal Vincent's injuries?" Sheryl asked.
"Possibly, but much of our members are already in deep space, in fact a very important member has been in deep space ever since the war ended two years ago. If I could locate him then it may be possible for Celestial Being to launch the machine we have been building, its ability to turn thoughts into action may heal some of the internal damage to the Commander's body," the Innovade explained.
Sheryl nodded her head, knowing that it was a long shot, and that it probably wouldn't even be possible considering how difficult it was to find Celestial Being. She put her communicator away as she walked to the Minerva group. Her eyes fell on Nia and she saw the empty expression in her eyes.
"Nia, turn the music down," Shinn growled.
But Nia ignored him, despite the fact that the music was so loud Sheryl had heard it from the corner. Sheryl herself didn't make any attempt to stop her, as she had seen the admiration the girl had formed for the Commander recently. Nothing but the violent pulses of Nia's music could be heard for a few minutes before the door finally opened. The first thing Sheryl noted was that the ZAFT doctor looked more like a scientist than a medical professional. It unnerved her slightly, bringing back unwanted memories. She cast those memories aside to focus on the man's report.
"Is the Commander going to be okay?" Nia asked, moving ahead of the others.
"As some of you may have heard, the Commander's body has suffered severe radiation burns, particularly on his face," the doctor began.
"But he's been burnt before and survived," Shinn pointed out.
Some part of the boy must have been worried about the commander. Though no one could tell whether it was because he had a respect for the man, or because he wanted the man to die another way. The doctor flipped over some of his notes, as if reading a script.
"Considering the unique properties of the energy that burnt him and the severe cellular damage, simple skin grafts may not be enough. Until a permanent treatment has been found I'm referring the commander's case to the chairman's expertise," he said.
"What can the chairman do?" Arthur asked.
"Before he got into politics the Chairman was a gifted medical doctor," Rey said.
"That's true; he's suggested temporary cybernetic grafts to the Commander's face and medication that'll slow the gradual decay."
"Gradual decay? What are you talking about?" Luna asked.
"I am sorry I didn't get to the heart of the matter, Commander Rach's burns have all but wiped away his prior appearance but that is not what concerns us. As you know the commander is gifted with a unique muscle memory that allows him to memorise and repeat actions performed by another, this can include mobile suit techniques or even exact human movements, like the specific movement a basketball player might make for a perfect throw."
"Is this leading anywhere?" Sheryl asked impatiently.
"Yes, you see a part of the commander's brain had specifically adapted to enable him to store this vast amount of information without it affecting his long and short term memories. However the energy didn't just cause tissue damage to his skin, but to his brain as well," the doctor explained.
Luna and Meyrin gasped as Nia widened her eyes. She stepped back slightly as the doctor dropped another shell shocking piece of information.
"This hasn't affected his personality and it may not even affect his distant childhood memories, but recent events that have occurred within the last six months may become little more than a blur to him. As his photographic reflexes gain more moves, his memories of people, events and his connection to those events will suffer, in fact he may forget certain things entirely like a report or a conversation he's had, even people," the doctor lowered his eyes slightly.
The members of the piloting team all reacted in their own ways. Shinn was caught between anger and regret as he realised that the man responsible for his sister's death might actually forget his guilt. Kojiro remained impassive, but inside he thought of the possible consequences this would have for Sensou. With Vincent's memory crippled he would be more of a liability than an asset as a commander. That would mean that responsibility for Sensou would fall solely in the hands of Flay.
"DAMN IT!" Branden yelled.
He punched at the wall, his eyes closed as his body shook hysterically.
"He'll forget us?" Luna asked.
'He'll forget what made him feel sad?' Nia wondered. 'But that email he received, he'll read it again and again and every time he'll feel the same sense of sorrow…oh Vincent!'
Nia dropped her music player and marched towards the door.
"Wait, you can't go in there," the doctor said.
"Let us see him damn it," Nia growled.
"Nia stop, that's an order," Arthur said.
Nia stopped walking, gritting her teeth together as Rey touched her shoulder.
"The chairman is a good doctor, he'll have a treatment that'll at least make the commander fit for combat," he said.
'Bad move Za Burrel,' Sheryl sighed.
"Fit for combat!" Nia, and unexpectedly Kojiro spoke simultaneously.
"And what about fit for living, not all of us live in our uniforms like you Rey," Nia growled.
"Commander Rach may forget everything that happened two years ago, everything that turned him into the man he was today. That and he'll have to relive the guilt and regret caused by hundreds of deaths that were on his command. His skills in battle won't suffer but the commander was more than skill, he was an inspiration to his troops, he got to know our families, our histories, and us. Now there's the possibility of him forgetting those bonds, of us being mere strangers to him!"
Sheryl and Branden didn't expect the anger in Kojiro's voice. In fact Kojiro's eyes now had more emotion than they had shown in the two years they had known him. But his eyes quickly returned to normal as he lowered his fists.
"Excuse me, but I must go, there are adjustments I must make to the Kenshin!"
"Kojiro, where are you going?" Branden asked.
"There is nothing we can do for the commander, we have a mission to prepare for," Kojiro said dismissively as he walked away.
Sheryl sighed as she turned to the doctor.
"What is the chairman planning to do to treat the Commander's neural decay?" she asked.
"He has composed the design of a device that'll regularly inject the commander with a formula to hold back further decay; in fact it'll even help to repair some of the damage. The device will also relay information to the Commander, reminding him of people and events so that he will not completely forget them," the doctor explained.
"But will his connection to those people still remain?" Nia asked.
"At this point it's hard to say," the doctor sighed.
"Send the schematics for this device to my office on the Minerva!"
The pilots turned around, shocked to see Silver Mask standing before them.
"Yes, I would like a copy of them as well," Sheryl said.
"Why?"
"This device obviously links directly with Vincent's brain, we must be aware of all the devices uses," Silver Mask said.
"Very well, if it'll sate your curiosity I will have the schematics sent to both your offices," the doctor explained.
Silver Mask nodded his head before he turned and walked away.
'Durandal, just what are you planning?' he wondered.
Simon sighed as he leant his head against his pillow. Days had passed since he had a chance to take the Liberty into battle. He would have said that the Earth Alliance forces were deliberately trying to keep him out of battle, if he didn't already know better. Right now the Alliance brass was held back by fear, the fear of the power Gekido Jaeger's family had. Heiwa was steadily changing Eurasia and was in the first stages of helping it out of its depression. Yet still rebellions had been formed against the Atlantic Federation. Then there were talks of an imminent ZAFT attack in that region. If Heiwa and his other siblings were truly willing to go against the Alliance in order to change Eurasia, then they had painted themselves as targets.
'Can you truly be called my "brother"?' Simon wondered.
Ever since Heiwa revealed that he is Gekido's twin; so many questions began enter into Simon's mind such as did this mean that there were even more Cyber Psyches out there? How many of them were running around? Where they connected with the ones who were on with the Zala loyalists at the "Break of the World Incident"? Could he trust his newly discovered "family"?!
He rolled onto his side, rubbing his hair in frustration. Then there was his brother, the original Cyber Psyche Gekido Jaeger. IF he really was loyal to ZAFT and not the Earth Alliance, then the Jaeger family, Simon included were twice as likely to be considered threats to Djibril.
"Damn it Gekido, what are you doing?" he asked.
A sudden chime at the door knocked Simon away from his thoughts. He climbed off the bed and walked to the door. Blinking in confusion, he recognised the woman standing at attention.
"Hello Mr Jaeger, sorry to disturb you, I am Jessica, Mr Israfel would like to speak with you," the young girl said.
Simon nodded his head, adjusting the collar of his jacket as he followed Jessica. But as opposed to going to Israfel's office, they went to the hanger. Cain and Israfel were already waiting. They both stood at the foot of the Liberty, thought Simon noticed significant changes to its back. It now sported a straight winged flight pack. The beam sword had been removed and instead had two solid swords on the hips. Both swords looked nearly European in nature, like the kind a knight would use in a duel. Jeremiah snuffed his cigarette out on the mobile suit's leg (much to Jessica's annoyance) and walked over to Simon.
"I hope you like what I've done with your Gundam. It's now capable of fighting an even battle with ZAFT's Impulse Gundam," Jeremiah said.
"Though I would recommend attacking the Impulse when it changes its equipment," Cain chimed in.
Jeremiah waved his friend off and put his arm around Simon's neck. He jerked the boy in a friendly headlock.
"He's just jealous that the machine I made for him isn't a Gundam," he whispered, causing Simon to chuckle.
"The belief that the Gundams are supernatural in some way is foolish," Cain said.
"Ha, tell that to those supposedly secret GN-tech Gundams, I've heard that one's capable of teleporting…now that would be a sight to see," Jeremiah sighed.
"Scientifically impossible," Cain shook his head.
"Only cause you don't know the science of it," Jeremiah grinned.
Jessica coughed, breaking the two men away from their argument.
"Anyway, I upgraded your machine because I believe that you may very well come to represent what your brother was to our troops in the last war. Heiwa and his siblings may have given up, but I have faith that you will achieve something beyond what your brother was capable of," Jeremiah explained.
"What's that?" Simon asked.
"Lead our forces against not just ZAFT, but the very people that push our lands into war, that pour resources into their hatred instead of the economy," anger flashed in Jeremiah's eyes, causing Cain to shake his head.
"Blue Cosmos, Logos, whatever scheme you make Jeremiah is of little consequence to them, Djibril is in charge and whether he deserves the power or not is irrelevant. Our enemy is ZAFT and anyone else who would try to bring down the order that has been established," Cain explained.
"So if the soldiers said no, if they said no to killing all coordinators or fulfilling an order of Djibril's…what if they campaigned for Djibril and his colleagues resignations, even their executions, who would be your enemy then?" Simon asked.
"Campaigned, don't be naïve, soldiers will not go to such lengths, when we kill a person we do not shed tears for the death of a stranger and that is what all coordinators are to us. If one of our soldiers was told to shatter a colony they would feel nothing because the people in that colony are strangers to them. In the end we as soldiers and even human beings themselves become numb to the death of others," Jeremiah looked at his friend with pity.
'Cain, have you been tortured by humanity so badly that you've given up all hope of change?' Jeremiah wondered.
Simon looked up at his machine and narrowed his eyes in a furious determination. He would pilot this machine and achieve the same dream his brother had.
While Simon received his new and improved mobile suit, Shinn and the other pilots of the Minerva went through very different preparations. Branden had walked away from Kojiro, choosing not to stay with the man that (to Branden) casually abandoned the Commander. Kojiro oversaw the transfer of several ground type GM's and 'Imitation Gundams' into the Sensou 'Landmaster' carrier.
"Bring the dop cannons and assault rifles, we don't have time to adjust the beam rifles for heat convection," Kojiro said.
The technicians nodded their heads before moving trucks filled with shell ammunition onto the carrier. Kojiro passed the data pad to another Sensou officer and walked to the Kenshin. He powered the machine up and moved onto the Landmaster. Branden however kept the Murasama on the Minerva. He began adjusting the OS for heat convection, as well as other problems he would face in the Gulnahan Ravine. Luna walked through the corridors of the Minerva, stopping when she saw her sister at a computer.
"What are you looking up sis?" Luna asked, leaning against Meyrin's chair.
"Commander Rach's condition," Meyrin said.
Luna sighed as she read the horrific cases that had been very similar to Vincent's. One mistake Gekido made was believing that Vincent was an ordinary man. The reality was that he was one of a rare few with photographic reflexes. Since the time of George Glen, people with these extraordinary muscle memories began to appear and much like the Newtype phenomenon they were not without their disadvantages. Some people with PF (photographic reflexes) excelled in physical sports and mimicking precise movements, yet suffered when it came to remembering their emotions. Others could remember techniques and other things, yet would forget something they had done merely a day ago.
"Poor guy," Luna said.
"The doctors think that the Commander's brain developed so that it wouldn't have these problems, but the accident damaged these portions of his brain," Meyrin sighed.
"Rey seems to have faith that Vincent will pull through."
"Thank goodness the Chairman was also a doctor."
The sisters continued researching Vincent's unique brain condition. Silver Mask however sat in his office and the dimmed lights reflected off of his helmet. The mask was at his desk, and he was looking over a holographic image of the device Durandal was going to use on Vincent. It was a mask, built with a black cloth to cover Vincent's mouth, while a metallic mask would cover his head completely. The mask was designed to make it look like a skull.
"Even in tragedy you find some way to benefit from it don't you Durandal?" the man behind the mask asked aloud.
He huffed as he pressed a button, deactivating the projection. The mask looked more like a propaganda tool than a treatment for brain damage. Sheryl however, who looked at the device from the perspective of an engineer found very different uses. She was currently in a videoconference with Flay.
"The mask interfaces directly with Vincent's brain, giving him information as well as regular shots of a drug that'll slow the brain damage. The formula is based on a medicine used in the treatment of people with incomplete genetic structures," Sheryl explained.
"How could you know that?" Flay asked.
"About eighteen years ago I was working on a genetics project as an engineer; I caught a glimpse of lists with chemical recipes very similar to the concoction of chemicals the chairman plans to put into Vincent's brain."
Flay put a hand to her cheek as she leant back into her chair.
"Tell me Sheryl, could this device be used to alter Vincent's mind as opposed to treat it?" she asked.
"You know, I got the feeling that that was the reason why Silver Mask didn't like the idea of the machine," Sheryl said.
"A few weeks ago I wouldn't have questioned Durandal's decision to use this on Vincent, but now, with this other Lacus and Kira abducting Cagalli…it's probably nothing," Flay sighed.
"We must stay the course, that was Vincent's order, until Vincent himself tells us otherwise we need to continue to strengthen the bonds between our two militaries," Sheryl explained.
"You're willing to say that even with your hatred of Noah Bagal?" Flay asked.
Sheryl grit her teeth together, somewhat outraged by Flay's statement.
"Noah killed my son Flay, that's something I can never forgive the individual for. But I'm willing to work with ZAFT until such a time as you or Vincent decides that this alliance is valid," Sheryl saluted the chairwoman before she cut the line.
She looked at the picture of her son and sighed. This was the only option she could see. Unbeknownst to Sheryl, Noah had been sitting outside of the office the whole time.
'Wes, you've got one amazing mother,' he thought.
Noah and Sheryl would both lead another ZAFT carrier through the gap of Alhazard's defence. Nia and Joe joined as part of the mobile suit team. Though Joe was already at the submarine carrier, Nia visited Vincent. Despite the doctor's recommendation she walked into the hospital room. Vincent had been stripped of his uniform and now wore a hospital gown, with numerous bandages covering his face. A mask had also been put over his mouth, pouring painkillers directly into his throat. Nia's hand shook as she held onto the bed railing.
"Fuck, why did this happen?" she wondered. "I told you I'd help you out, but I did nothing, I should have seen those idiots and told them to stop, maybe then this wouldn't have happened," she stepped back, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"The only people at fault were the idiots that used an unfamiliar machine, and that Gundam," Shinn said as he walked to the opposite side of Vincent's bed.
"I didn't expect you to visit, or were you planning on cutting off his life support?" Nia asked bitterly.
"Don't give me that look, the commander…I admit that the commander is a good man, he defended my actions the other day, even when Athrun was hitting me about it…he understands that there are certain people you've gotta take down, yet at the same time he's…" again Shinn hesitated, unable to find the right words.
"He's kind and gentle, he doesn't like the role that he plays," Nia said.
Shinn widened his eyes slightly, surprised by the affection in Nia's voice and eyes. She always seemed so hostile towards him and the others. But then Commander Rach came and somehow drew Nia out of her shell.
"Why aren't you going to join us in the next battle?" Shinn asked.
"I can't be on that ship right now, not with that machine still in the hanger," Nia growled.
"The Purpose Mark 2, apparently the chairman called, said that this issue about the Gundam's supposed sentience won't be resolved until after the commander wakes up," Shinn sighed.
"I'm going to take that supply depot, not just for the chairman but for the commander too," determination filled Nia's eyes as she let go of the rails.
Shinn watched her leave before turning his attention back to Vincent. He leant in close to the man and whispered something into his ear.
"You still owe me an explanation for my family, Mayu Asuka that was my sister's name, so don't you dare forget it," he said fiercely.
Vincent's finger twitched, though the action went unnoticed by Shinn. The young pilot walked out of the room; unaware of the sharp breath the commander took before falling back into unconsciousness.
"Mayu Asuka!" he had said.
Two operations that felt less prepared than they should have been left the base that day. One would cross the sea, to attack a seemingly insignificant region. The Minerva however and its permanent crew would travel through the Gulnahen ravine. As the three carriers hovered across the rocky landscape, a small jeep drove up behind the Minerva. Its driver, a local girl dressed in combat fatigues removed her glasses. She gazed at the ship, seeing it as the best hope her people had. The cargo hatch opened and the girl drove the jeep straight into the Minerva's hanger.
"The rebels recruit a little young don't they?" Branden asked the girl as they walked around the hanger.
"I've been fighting since the Earth Alliance occupied our lands, where was Sensou when that was happening?" the girl asked back.
"Look lady we're a small organisation and the only ones really dedicated to the peace, so if you've got complaints take em to our leader, oh wait he's in the hospital in critical condition," Branden sent a glare in the Purpose's direction.
Unknown to the little girl, the machine looked to where the two of them once stood before lowering its head. Silver Mask and Arthur waited at the elevator, with Silver Mask impatiently tapping his finger against his arm. He raised his head slightly as he saw how young the girl was.
"I see adults can't fight their own battles," he sighed. "Then again when it's your home, it becomes your battle," Arthur blinked in confusion over the masked man's words, causing him to sigh yet again.
"Thank you for coming, I don't think we could have held out for much longer," the little girl said as she approached Arthur and Silver Mask.
She looked at Silver Mask with a shocked expression and fidgeted as the man ruffled her hair.
"You're welcome kid, but keep in mind that our men that are going to take all the damage, Chairwoman Alster will also recommend a Sensou presence in your town afterwards," Silver Mask explained.
"You seem so sure that you're going to win," the girl said.
"So what information do you have on their battle strength?" Arthur asked.
"Whoa, Arthur quit rushing the girl, we've gotta reach the briefing room first," the masked man said as they stepped into the elevator.
The ride was a short one and the walk to the briefing room seemed even shorter. Every one of the main Minerva pilots had been assembled, along with Sensou and ZAFT green suit pilots. Shinn and his group sat at the front, while Kojiro leant on one side of the room.
"Damn it, they couldn't install another chair?" Branden asked as he joined Kojiro.
"Welcome to the Minerva Miss Conile, do have the data?" Athrun asked.
"Yes, though is this everyone?" Conile asked.
"For this kind of operation it is best if we move in a group this size," Kojiro said.
"Kojiro is right, we have other operations currently going on that will secure your borders. Now everyone pay attention," Athrun said as he activated the projector.
"You are currently looking at a view of the area; this point here is our target, while across from that is Miss Conile's home. The Earth Alliance currently has a headquarters built into the mountain, it houses a powerful Lohengrin cannon that they have used to decimate our forces in the past, though it is vulnerable when exposed, the Lohengrin is protected by a mobile armour in possession of a reflector shield," Athrun turned to Shinn as he spoke, "You encountered one similar when you left Orb."
"That's right," Shinn nodded his head.
Luna cast a disapproving look at the lack of respect Shinn had in his voice.
"Taking into account the number of forces we have, the attack will take place in three groups. Kojiro and the Kenshin will lead ground forces in an attack on the front of the base, they will force the Alliance to reveal their Lohengrin cannon, then myself, Silver Mask, the Purpose and Branden will attack from above, striking directly at their mobile suit forces. The key to this battle will be this highlighted cave network, the Impulse will fly through the cave with its core components and attack the Earth Alliance base directly," Athrun explained. "Shinn this task falls to you, the cave is incredibly narrow and vision will be limited. Miss Conile please give him the flight data!"
Conile looked at the black disc in her hand and noted Shinn's attitude. She cast a disapproving look before turning to Athrun.
"This mission is too important, isn't there someone better qualified for it?" Conile asked.
"Better qualified? Why you!"
"Shinn sit down, Miss Conile I assure you Shinn is the best person qualified to carry out this task," Athrun said calmly.
'Oh Zala, always the saint,' Silver Mask thought.
"What about you, or that guy," Coline pointed to Silver Mask.
'That guy?' he thought.
"That's a good point, why not let Athrun do it?" Arthur asked.
"Enough, Shin is going to fly the mission."
'And once again Athrun proves his competency for command,' Silver Mask grinned.
"Forget it, if there's doubts about whether I can do it then you take the data," Shinn said.
'WAAAH WAAAH! I have a stick up my ass cause some little girl questioned my competency!'
"Shinn I wouldn't give you a mission if I didn't think you could handle it!"
'That's right Athrun, show the kid whose boss, without the pathetic attempt at a Bright slap!'
Shinn huffed as he stood up and took the disc from Conile.
"You have to follow the data precisely, even a fraction off and you'll crash," she said.
"I get it," Shinn huffed.
"Don't fail, please don't fail," a pleading look crossed Conile's eyes. "We can't live under the Earth Alliance's authority anymore. The other day we were planning to attack, but the new commander of the base came with his men. A masked man that called himself General Spirbreak, he burnt down one of our homes, took some of our people prisoner and even executed them and that was before we could even launch any kind of attack," she explained.
"General Spirbreak, did he pilot a customised machine with four eyes?" Silver Mask asked.
Conile nodded her head.
"Very well, I'll take care of that guy," he said. The masked pilot clenched his fists.
Shinn looked at the disc as a wave of determination filled his body. He knew now that he couldn't fail and he promised the girl that he wouldn't.
The pilots left the briefing room, with Rey and Luna following him.
"You know that was a pretty amazing thing you did back there," Luna said, catching Athrun's attention.
"How so?" he asked.
"Shinn was always questioning authority at academy, he got a in a trouble a lot, it's good to see that you can handle him like that," Luna explained.
"You're wrong, I didn't really 'handle' Shinn, he's not a bad person, just a little awkward socially," Athrun said as he summoned the elevator. "I'm awkward too!"
Luna stood stunned as Athrun took the elevator.
"Did he just brush me off?" he asked Rey.
The blonde haired pilot muttered, unable to come up with a satisfying response. Silver Mask leant against the wall, smiling at the scene.
'Socially awkward huh,' he thought, looking up at the ceiling. 'You two aren't the only ones,' he sighed.
ZAFT and Sensou suits had been positioned across the landscape, with some even standing on the ships. Luna, Rey and Kojiro took position on the Minerva, brandishing their weapons. Silver Mask climbed into the Aero, powering up its phase shift armour.
"Athrun, if you don't mind I'd like to move in first," he said.
"Sure thing, but I want you to keep an eye on the Purpose," Athrun said.
"That won't be necessary, the Purpose has learnt its lesson," Silver Mask's eye stopped glowing as he lowered his head.
He took a deep breath and stepped onto the catapult. The Aero grabbed its rail rifle from the weapon rack, Silver Mask and the Aero Gundam's eyes glowed as its wings slid out.
(Zips Undercover Remix)
"Silver Mask, Aero Dusk Gundam! LAUNCHING!"
The Aero Gundam shot out of the catapult, immediately changing to jet mode. It took on a gold appearance as it utilised the full power of the Arc system. Like a bullet, it flew straight towards the Earth Alliance forces. Beams, bullets and fire flew past it, hitting the regions of the EA base. A shower of beams and missiles flew at the Aero, forcing it to move at impossible speed. Silver Mask clutched his chest for a moment before rocketing forward. He flew high over the Earth Alliance base, switching his Gundam to suit mode. Raising the rail rifle, Silver Mask levelled the weapon on the formation of mobile suits in the centre of the defensive line.
"How about this!" Silver Mask growled.
The gold glow across the Aero's body passed to the barrel of the rail rifle and unleashed an incredible gold blast. It struck the ground, melting two Daggers.
"Only two, stupid coordinators, they really think they're going to wipe us out with a single shot?" the Earth Alliance officer asked.
"The Rail rifle doesn't just function as a gun!"
Silver Mask moved the Aero's arm, dragging the beam like the blade of a sword. He consumed several Daggers, yelling like an animal as he cut them down.
"There, a gap you need to move towards the Lohengrin, you'd better take it Shinn," the masked man growled.
Suddenly, the Rail rifle and the Aero's right arm blew up, knocking Silver Mask to the side. Several missiles then slammed into his back, knocking him forward on his seat.
"I died once, I'm not gonna die again," he said defiantly.
"Silver Mask needs help," one of the Sensou soldiers said.
"Then let's take advantage of the shot he gave us," A Zaft soldier said.
An Ocher type Ginn raised its ion cannon as a ground Gundam opened its missile launcher. They fired, hitting the mobile suits attacking the masked man. Three ground GM fired their bazookas, striking at the EA front line. Two Squads of Ocher Ginn's then fired volleys of rifle fire, followed by a hail of missiles from the ZAFT and Sensou land ships.
"Damn it, bring out the Ghells Ghe, and the Lohengrin cannon," The Alliance officer said.
A masked man standing behind the officer sighed. A metallic mask hid his grotesque appearance. He walked down towards the base's hanger, looking at a four-eyed machine.
"The Gells Ghe isn't the only mobile armour that looks like a suit," he said.
Climbing into the machine, the masked man smirked as the Gells Ghe was launched next to it. While the Gells Ghe and its other fellow next gen mobile armours required three pilots, the Breaker Gundam only needed one cyber psyche pilot.
"It is time for me to break the spirits of the people one more time, beginning with you SILVER MASK!" General Spirbreak yelled.
Silver Mask dived headfirst into battle, cutting down Daggers with his beam sword. He turned around, deflecting a beam from a Dagger behind him. Then he unceremoniously threw his sword at the Dagger, spearing it and the machine behind it. Several beams flew from above, destroying the four Daggers behind the Aero. The Murasama and the Saviour flew into the fray, the latter switching to Gundam mode. Athrun fired his beam rifle, hitting Daggers left and right. Branden flew straight through a volley of missiles, crushing the artillery trucks with the Muramasa's feet.
"All right Shinn, there's your path, you'd better take it," Silver Mask sighed.
(End Zips Under Cover Track)
"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor launching!"
The main components of the Impulse launched out of the Minerva, but took a separate route from the main force. Following the data he had been given, Shinn travelled to the cave system. The core splendor flew into the narrow corridor, with Shinn widening his eyes at what he saw.
"What the hell? They never said anything about it being this dark," he gasped.
Shinn grit his teeth together as he flew the core through the narrow pathways. He felt a rock grind against his wing, and the feelings of claustrophobia begin to kick in.
"Damn it, he was just talking bull shit, he just didn't want to go through this himself," Shinn growled.
His breathing began to grow slower as his goal became clearer. He couldn't fail, that mindset dominated his motivation as the image of Conile appeared in his mind. Meanwhile Silver Mask cut down another mobile suit and looked to the EA hanger as two mobile armours emerged. One was the Gells-Ghe as Silver Mask expected. But the other was entirely different mobile armour. Like the Gells-Ghe it had a mobile suit body attached to it. But instead of a used Strike Dagger, the Breaker mobile armour used the body of a Strike Gundam, with four red eyes. Dragon fangs had been attached to its arms while the rest of the mobile armour resembled the body and legs of a crab.
"Hello Silver Mask," general Spirbreak cackled.
"Another general of Uragiri's forces, tell me is Uragiri alive?" Silver Mask asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know, perhaps she is, perhaps she was a merely a tool for something else, or perhaps we're all just crazy and following ghosts. It matters not, for my purpose is clear, I will break the spirits of my enemies!" the general said as the mobile armour portion of his suit ignited its beam pincers.
Silver Mask drew his beam trident and span it around.
"How much damage do you think you can do with one arm?" the general asked.
"Enough to kill you," Silver Mask growled.
The General broke off into an insane cackle, rolling his head back.
"How optimistic, even if you kill me your mission has failed," Spirbreak said as he motioned to the mountain.
The Earth Alliance pilots widened their eyes as the Lohengrin emerged from the mountain.
"What's going on, why are we exposing ourselves?" the Alliance officer asked.
"Sir, we've lost complete control of the system," an operator said.
"What, how is this possible?"
"The Lohengrin altering its position, it's aiming at the town!"
The Dagger pilots muttered amongst themselves as they watched the Lohengrin turned.
"What, why are we aiming at the town?"
"Sure they've attacked us, but we can't just wipe them!"
"What is the command centre thinking?"
Branden cursed as his blasts were deflected by the Gells's shield. He turned to the Lohengrin and widened his eyes as it aimed at the town.
"SILVER MASK WHAT'S GOING ON!" Branden yelled.
"A cyber psyche, one that's sacrificed his sanity for more power!" Silver Mask growled. "IF YOU FIRE THAT DAMN THING YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE ASSHOLE, PERMANTELY!"
"I'm simply fulfilling my purpose, completely breaking an enemy's spirit! NOW WATCH THEM ALL DIE!" the general yelled.
"REGAIN CONTROL!" the alliance officer screamed.
"ITS TOO LATE!"
The Lohengrin fired, with the shocked ZAFT, Sensou and Earth forces watching.
Next Chapter 28: Justice and Revenge
A GLORIUS TRAILER Trailer, the next chapter in Gekido's story, what happened to him after Jachin Due?
That question and others will be answered in a story that'll set the tone for the next Gundam story!
The Events of Seed supposedly began with George Glenn's mission to Jupiter. There he discovered Evidence-01.
In actuality George not only discovered E01, but something else that would change the Cosmic Era forever. The coordinator, his blonde hair aging with grey streaks walked through the tunnels. He shined his light across the wall, stopping as he saw a magnificent sight. His eyes widened in amazement as he analysed every bit of the stone. Imbedded in the wall, was the fossilised image of a whale like creature. George shined his light to the creatures back and saw the outline of a pair of wings.
"Incredible," he whispered.
Walking past the whale stone, George continued his search to see if there was anything else left to discover. He walked several inches from the whale stone and found a network of rocks and boulders. Climbing over the boulders, George removed his radio and spelunking gear, keeping a hold of a small rock hammer. Suddenly, George slipped and rolled down a steep slope. He immediately bought his hands to his helmet, hoping to cushion his faceplate. But the glass smashed against a rock, creating a hole. George's cheek scratched against the surface of the rock and he immediately crawled back, gasping for air. But much to his surprise, air was what he found. He removed his helmet and breathed.
"This is impossible," George said.
He dropped the helmet and spread his arms out, taking deep breaths. The searing pain of his fresh cut confirmed that he wasn't dreaming. George looked at his surroundings, a cavern of some kind packed with rocks. But a small border had formed around the cavern, a green border. Kneeling in front of the border, George touched the surface of the plants and his database mind found no match to any on Earth. Against his better judgement he sniffed the plants and sighed at the heavenly smell.
"Life, life on another dead planet, my god this is truly incredible," overcome with emotion, George let out a heartfelt laugh.
He noted that the plants must have produced a breathable atmosphere, yet had evolved to develop in the harsh and dry conditions. George formed the idea that despite how seemingly empty the planet was life even the smallest and seemingly insignificant of creatures could find a way to survive. This plant and the whale stone were living proof that creatures lived on this planet. Walking into the centre of the cavern, George curiously looked at the ground. His sharp eyes caught sight of a small cylinder object buried under the rock. Moving the rocks aside, George picked up the object, regarding it with innocent curiosity. He wiped the dust away, his eyes widening as lines across the object began to glow. The object suddenly floated away from George's grip and unleashed a brilliant light.
"What the…"
George's words were cut off as he was left speechless by what he saw next.
Gekido's eyes opened as he awakened from his sleep. He was inside the Purpose cockpit; just after he had left the only home he had ever known. Earth was but a far off memory, and the young man was now on his way to meet with a fleet of exploring ships, ships that would discover the secrets long lost in this world, including the secret of his origin.
Another Century Episode 2 Opening GLORIOUS
"Earth will forget its fighting for now, the battles in space are just beginning…Sensou can only extend its gaze so far," A masked man said to several cloaked figures.
Deep Space Exploration Vessel "Trailblazer!"
Mobile suits: Astrays, G-Bouncer
"We're on a mission to discover lost secrets, who knows perhaps the secrets we seek are the same as yours…Gekido Jaeger!" Captain Rick Dallas
Gekido ignited the Purpose's twin sabres as he clashed with several Dorados. He flew above the mobile suits, the Purpose's eye giving off a blue glow.
"Cyber Psyche's, we are the results of the ultimate fusion between organic genetics and machine nano-technology, but where has such technology, technology that has advanced humanity come from?"
Hundreds of Kratos's eyes began to glow as a masked man ordered them to launch. Gekido let out a yell as the Purpose fought alongside Strike Daggers, Astrays and Geno-Aces. Three stars blinked in space and three more mobile suits entered the battle.
"GUNDAM FIGHT! READY! GO!" Domon Kashu, Burning Gundam
The Burning Gundam activated its brawler mode, punching several GINN's and Kratos's. Its hand moved at impossible speeds, causing the Purpose to fist its hands in jealousy.
"Dad…Gekido's right about you!" Asemu Asano, Gundam Age-2
The Gundam Age-2 changed to mobile suit mode and brandished its beam rifle. It quickly threw the rifle aside as its Double Bullet components appeared.
"Target locked! Eliminating enemy fleet!" Heero Yuy, Wing Zero
The Wing Zero (TV Series variant) raised its double Buster rifles. In a magnificent show of power, the Gundam fired two beams and began to spin. The beams cut down any ship or mobile suit in the way.
Leo Mobile suits patrolled the outer hull of a colony, raising their rifles as heat sources approached from above. A red Gundam with wheels on its feet landed on the colony, brandishing a gigantic metallic claw.
"The people of Mars are regarded as monsters by the Alliance, no one has sought to look out for us, until now!" Lynette Bragus, GN-Guwein
The Guwein moved through the inside of the colony, cutting down Leo mobile suits left and right. Lynette yelled as she bought her claw down on the X Gundam. Jamil let out a scream before jumping back. He drew his sabre and desperately swung it at the Guwein. Suddenly, a fang attached to a wire of some kind pierced through the Gundam's hand. Jamil and Lynette looked to their side, seeing a Black and Gold mobile suit with four wings and numerous bits flying around it.
"Peace is peace, whether it has been achieved through the blood of hundreds, if I must become a tyrant to bring about the peace my loved ones dream of, then I will GLADLY BECOME THAT TYRANT!" Heinrich Cousland, Defender bit controls
"He is all part of the plan, not the Schenberg plan but the plan of he who has surpassed even Ribbons!" Lone Pain, Defender mobile suit control
The masked man, his grey hair hanging over his eyes smiled beneath his metallic mask. Forces gathered and fought under his manipulations, the manipulations of a ghost of Uragiri. The Romefellar Foundation, Vegan, The Side Colonies and the explorers from Earth.
"Rise up my brothers, rise up and take what is rightfully yours!"
Gekido lowered his cap over his eyes, turning away from the crowd of people gathering around Lacus.
'They are all better off without me,' he thought.
Leo mobile suits flew to avoid several missiles. They fired their rifles, clashing with Virgo units. A Leo mobile suit flew through the ranks, beheading one of the Virgo's with a sabre.
"His Excellency has plans for you/His Excellency believes you and your friends are the key to peace!" Colonel Une/Lady Une
Gekido yelled as he clashed with the AGE 1 Gundam. The Age-1 switched to its Titus equipment and swung its Lariat into the Purpose's fist. The corrupt seed appeared in Gekido's eye as the Gundam's armour turned gold.
"You would not defend them if you knew what they have done!" Flit Asuno, Gundam Age-1
Gekido swung his arm around, looking at Flit's back.
"Your such a damned idiot, what good is achieved by completely annihilating a group, so you hate the Vegan people, you say they should all die, then tell me does that include civilians, women, CHILDREN! Are you so blinded by your hate that you cant see the damned hypocrisy of your words?"
The Purpose launched out of the Diva, leading the G-Bouncer, Gundam Age-2 and Genoaces into battle. Multiple ships fired their weapons and beams flew across space. The F91 Gundam fired its beam bazooka at the Guwein as the X Gundam fired its satellite cannon. Gekido narrowed his eyes at a darkened mobile suit before charging head first into battle. Several Gun-Ez's flew beside the Purpose and joined its attack.
"SHRIKE TEAM LAUNCHING!" The Shrike team, Gun-EZ's, Victory Gundams
GN-X's shot down waves of Strike Daggers. But just when their victory seemed clear two agile mobile suits flew out of space, their blades cutting apart the squadron of Innovade clones.
"You're an observer huh? Well so am I, I observe, decide and act!" Fon Spark, Gundam Astrae Avalanche
"The eradication of war through force, THAT IS CELESTIAL BEING! AND THE GUNDAM WILL DO IT! TOGETHER WITH ME!" Setsuna F Seiei, Gundam Exia Avalanche
The masked man floated into a grey and black version of the Nenshou Kokoro. Its blood red eyes lit up.
"You think there is a human motivation behind my actions, what makes you think I fight for a mere nation?" General Legacy, Dark Nenshou Kokoro
Gekido looked at his surroundings, gripping the Purpose's controls tightly. Surrounded on all sides of the asteroid field, the Purpose fought an invisible foe. Triskeros missiles flew out of space and the Purpose sliced the missiles in half. A beam sabre appeared before the Purpose, slamming into its shield. Gekido widened his eyes as his opponent revealed his identity.
"Impossible," he whispered.
"I'll told myself I was staying with you guys because I thought you could lead me to answers. Now I realise we're not just here to find out the truth about the Jupiter mission, we're here to stop that son of a bitch from killing more people. Something tells me that he's just the beginning, or maybe the instigator of a much bigger threat, we might not face it now but it'll come eventually!" Gekido Jaeger.
Gekido squeezed his hand into a fist as the visor of his cyber suit began to crack. He got up off the floor, his shoulders shaking. With a yell his Gundam matched his movement, letting out a digitised roar that echoed around it.
"RISE GUNDAM PURPOSE!"
"I…am…alive!" Gundam Purpose
Gundam Purpose Rise!
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and the trailer
Here's a few more details the preview didnt give you:
It'll either be in a Gundam Seed/UC crossover category or a Gundam UC/Anime Crossover category. It'll include characters from multiple series and multiple mechs. The main plot will revolve around the Trailblazer, the leading ship of an exploration flotilla that gets caught in the middle of a war between the Alliance, the colonies and the factions on Mars. A race is soon started for the secrets discovered by George Glen, with Gekido hoping it'll also lead him to the secrets of his past. The fic will take place over the two year gap between Seed and Destiny and while it is considered a spin off is the continuation of Gekido's story. The Purpose will change internally (as in fully develop a character) while Gekido will go through some physical and mental changes, he'll also have a new romantic interest. The fic will feature new OC's, with character designs and mechs based on anime like Code Geass and Super Robot Wars. You guys (the readers and reviewers) will be able to also add your own OC's in it).
Finally the fic will also have elements of political and family dramas, war crimes, spiritual and science fiction elements.