Well, here I start with the prologue that will date back to the 2 main protagonists and how their destinies were changed due to the Gundams. Enjoy it.
On reviews:
Vladblood234: I also don't know where the term "God Seiei" came from, but surely some fans invented it, probably after the movie "A Wakening of the Trailblazer", when Setsuna merged with the ELS becoming something that would surpass a Newtype, Coordinator and Innovator and presumably in most of the other Gundam protagonists. Honestly, the fact of giving that nickname to a complete atheist like Setsuna seems a bit peculiar to me and even more so to elevate the character to the category of pseudo divine at the end of the movie. Well, as long as his Gundam also reaches said pseudo-divine status and it also 'becomes one' with Setsuna, I think his new state of existence does justice to his nickname.
As for Shinn, yeah. Unlike Setsuna and the rest of the Gundam protagonists (I haven't met all of them yet) he has not shown any ability to develop or mature as a main character and in the end he was reduced to a simple lapdog of the main villain, and therefore, in the secondary antihero that we all hate.
Oh sorry, I actually meant that Fukuda didn't bother to give him a good development like he should considering he was the protagonist of GSD at the beginning of the series. I don't know what kind of circumstances forced the director to downgrade Shinn to what we know at the end. Could it be that he liked his 'Jesus Yamato' better in the end or maybe it has something to do with his wife and writer Chiaki Marosawa, who also helped create the setting for both stories to make Lacus Clyne look cool? Honestly, I'm not sure and I don't care. The only thing that matters to me is how came out it in the end.
Barry: Well, I'm not an expert on pacifist issues and stuff, but what is clear is that both Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne are idealistic pacifists who feel the need to stop all kinds of violence by any means possible. They both know that not everyone will listen to their message of 'non-violence' so they both sign up for prominent political and military positions (Lacus as Chairwoman and Kira as General) respectively to ensure the peace they achieved at the end of SEED Destiny.
Donuts -no Donut- Powerus: I'm not really sure if GN firepower is really superior to SEED/Destiny as you suggest. Before starting this fic, I did a comparison between the various weaponry elements of both series and I concluded that SEED Destiny wins the prize for having the most powerful beam weapons out there unless 00 Season 2 has anything to say about it. At least my personal opinion.
I don't know if it's because of the animation or what, but I think the GN beams have a more precise power and sometimes powerful (unless they compete with a positron cannon) than the standard green beams. Now as for the damage that a SEED beam can cause to a Mobile Suit with GN Drive, well, you better read that later.
Prologue: Baptism of war
18/02/2023
Date: September 3, 69 CE
Location: Haddad - Republic of Krugis – Middle East
The evening had finally come dyeing the sky orange over the semi-arid region of the Republic of Krugis that was having a rather precarious situation about to fall before the invading forces that had been ravaging the small nation of the Middle East for some time.
It was the climax of the Kurdish Civil War in the tiny nation of Krugis when Kurdish government forces in collaboration with the army of the neighboring country of Azadistan were wiping out the last remaining anti-government forces in a small village. Numerous guerrilla groups of all ages, from adults, teenagers, even children had united in the defense of the town to defend it from the invaders, but they could do little to face the monstrous humanoid Azadistan war machine called 'Mobile Suit' that was the architect of the relentless advance of the Azadhist forces in Kurdish territory that because it was a small and recent nation, He did not possess any heavy or advanced weaponry so its defeat had been assured. In the end everything had turned into massacre.
The battle was over when the sun had just set over the mountains, leaving the city almost destroyed with numerous houses demolished and roads destroyed by siege forces consisting of a small squadron of 10 Azadista Mobile Suits, the MSER-04 Anf model being patrolling, moving slowly, annihilating anything that put up resistance in it.
There was still a small, insignificant focus of resistance being mostly children barely passing into adolescence who still insisted on fighting for their homeland, their bodies scattered everywhere were seen. They were fighting alone without the help of a professional or veteran to back them up, doing everything I had taught them to fight and survive, but it would be of little use to them for this occasion. However, the only encouraging thing they could do apart from carrying a rifle and the determination to want to protect their homeland, was the voice of their leader that was only broadcast on a radio to give them encouragement and know who they were facing and what they were fighting for.
"This battle is a holy war in the name of God!" The broadcast spread to every group of fighters who heard it.
At the same time, 3 children with particular rifles were running along the wall of a destroyed building. They then emerge from their hiding place, see an Anf on their back, and simultaneously shoot towards the huge mecha with a chance to knock it down. Unfortunately that turned out to be a completely futile attempt since bullets intended to kill people or animals were ineffective against the mechanical armor of the machine that simply made the bullets bounce in all directions without problems and without making any kind of scratch.
More unfortunate was that the shooting only served to attract the attention of the MS pilot who turns his machine towards the direction where the shots came from and sees the children still shooting uselessly. The pilot did not miss the opportunity and pointed the forward machine gun of the Anf towards them and despite knowing that they were only children who barely reached adolescence, he did not hesitate to release a powerful and violent burst of bullets towards them, killing them all on the spot.
This slaughter had dragged on since the siege began so almost all the resistance in the village faced the same fate as the children before.
"According to our traditions, we will drop the hammer of justice on infidels who do not respect our traditions and interfere with the Lord's will!"
At another part, behind a wall, was hiding another Kurdish boy with brown hair with his rifle. That boy's name was Soran Ibrahim and he was sitting sighing exhaustedly with his head down.
Soran came out of hiding, running around shooting towards the large incoming enemy Mobile Suits.
"We must not submit to the infidels."
While running, a missile exploded behind him, the shock wave ejected the child soldier 3 meters. He turned around, at least 3 times, but he hurried to recover. He then grabbed his rifle and ran out of the Mobile Suits who fired into his position from the inside. He ran across the crumbling ruins that were once his home. Death was all around him. There was no savior for him and his team as the enemy kept gunning them down, despite being children barely reaching their teenage years.
The youth had taken shelter behind a broken stone wall to catch his breath. His body was trembling from fear and adrenaline; his eyes were closed in an attempt to steady himself. The hell the boy was experiencing was just another battle of the Solar Power Wars. But to him… it was a pseudo Holy War that was doomed to fail from the start.
Then he listened to the radio broadcast again.
"After perishing in battle... we will ascend into God's own lap."
Hearing that, Soran was irritated. 'In this world... there is no God.' He thought to himself.
Then he heard the hum of a turret. The child guerilla soldier quickly ducked as large bullet holes were formed on the wall he was taking cover behind.
He immediately picked up his rifle and sprinted away. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was to escape from the hell he was currently in.
"In this world, there is no God!" He continued to say to himself as he sprinted, his feelings of anger, despair, sorrow, regret, and resentment increased with each passing minute.
He continued to run until an Anf appeared in front of him. The machine gun mounted on its head aimed at the boy before shooting. The boy evaded the bullets and took cover behind a wall to his right.
Then another Anf spotted him and closed in. The raven-haired youth looked at it with a sad, angry and hopeless expression. He knew that he would die now and yet he didn't mind it. The thought of death sounded like a release for him. A way to escape all this pain and suffering.
He now knows that God does not exist, so there was no hope in ever meeting his friends or family again. That all the people he killed was for nothing. That when he died, there would be nothing. But he found it comforting that he will be nothing. It would be much better then living the world as it is now.
He hated the war.
He hated the world.
He hated everything.
The brown Mobile Suit aimed its machine gun at him. The boy slowly closed his eyes waiting for his end.
Then without warning, a pink ray struck from above on the head of the Anf decimating it completely. Soran opened his eyes in surprise to see how the monstrous war machine that was going to grant him certain death was destroyed in front of him.
Then he heard the sound again. The boy's eyes looked around to witness how each Anfs stationed around the town was decimated by what appeared to be a pink linear light that descended from the sky like lightning and reached all the Mobile Suits that fell like flies without them being able to do anything to defend themselves.
When all the Anfs were destroyed, he pointed his rifle around in various directions, questioning who had eliminated the Mobile Suits. He got his answer when he instinctively raised his head to the sky and saw it.
There suspended in the sky with grace, he saw the figure of a bright humanoid giant on its back in front of the child's sight. Its back released streams of bright green particles to its sides that resembled wings.
The boy's eyes widened in shock, and he looked with awe and admiration at the mysterious angelic being due to the display of power and grace. It was something so powerful, so god-like that he couldn't help but be mesmerized by it.
The white Mobile Suit slowly turned around which showed its face and looked at the young boy below him who was hypnotized by its presence. It bright green particle wings expanding to which made it look like an angel.
Too shocked to speak or move with his savior. The boy continued to stare at it with intensity and worship.
It was his savior. His angel. His God.
His eyes were fixed on the shape of the great humanoid celestial being, and at the same time he felt that the angelic self was also 'watching' him from the air silently with its bright heavenly eyes.
Soran took out a pair of binoculars that he kept inside his pocket to get a closer look. He tried to distinguish the small text engraved on the chest piece from what he assumed would be the cockpit hatch. Each letter was engraved in his mind where forever it will remain...
Gundam.
The boy couldn't take his eyes off the wings of light around him. He was completely captivated by its presence. It was as if the whole world had vanished, he and his savior were the only two that existed.
This was Soran's encounter and the 0 Gundam.
2 years later
Date: November 4, 71 CE
Location: Onogoro Island - Orb Union
The late hours of dawn had heralded the Union navy's much-feared invasion of the island nation of Orb as an air squadron that seemed to form the vanguard approached the main island of Onogoro.
It was the height of the Bloody Valentine's War. The Earth Alliance had openly declared war on the small island nation of Orb in order to take possession of their Mass Driver and thus obtain a viable route to space as the other 3 had fallen into the hands of ZAFT, so the Kaguya Mass Driver was the only one available. The Alliance had issued an ultimatum to the Orb government to borrow the Mass Driver from them, but Orb Representative Uzumi Nara Attha flatly refused to hand over their Driver so the Alliance decided to retaliate in the matter and forcibly seize the Driver with a full-scale invasion of the capital Yalafath.
The first battle began at dawn when the Union navy led mainly by the director of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael, reached the territorial waters of Orb, more specifically to the coasts of Onogoro and began with launching a barrage of cruise missiles on the military defenses of the island and then deployed its forces being several new generation Mobile Suits that hovered over the island. Orb's army reacted immediately by deploying its own forces ready to intercept the invaders and protect the island. In the meantime, they were given orders to evacuate civilians from the island and bring them to safety.
In the midst of this chaos, a family was running as fast as they could down a wooded ravine trying to reach one of the nearby ports to evacuate the island. One was the father and mother, another, a 10-year-old girl and finally a boy between 12 and 13 years old with disheveled black hair, crimson eyes and dressed in a white suit. His name was Shinn Asuka and he was trying to flee with his family the country he once believed to be the Land of Peace.
As they ran, the battle raged above them, mobile suits firing on each other. Shinn slipped as he ran, but immediately regained his footing and followed.
"Dad!" Shinn exclaimed worried when the 4 of them stopped.
"Don't worry, son." His father said in a reassuring tone. "Their targets are likely the military facilities. Hurry!"
"Yes!" Shinn replied and they continued, his mother almost dragging Mayu behind them.
Whatever his father said, Shinn was worried. How much could Uzumi do against an invading Alliance army? Orb was a rich nation, but it was very small...
As they ran, Shinn could hear more closely the thunderous sounds of explosions and gunfire everywhere. He could see a small squadron of orange Mobile Suits perched on a dock alongside a series of anti-aircraft artillery firing on an incoming group of Union Mobile Suits. He wondered how long Orb's army would hold out on the invaders until they could evacuate in time.
"Yes!" Shinn replied and they continued, his mother almost dragging Mayu along behind them.
Whatever his father said, Shinn was worried. How much could Uzumi do against an invading army from the Alliance? Orb was a wealthy nation, but it was very small…
As they ran, Shinn could hear more closely the thunderous sounds of explosions and gunfire everywhere. He could see a small squadron of orange Mobile Suits perched on a dock alongside a series of anti-aircraft artillery firing on an incoming group of Union Mobile Suits. He wondered how long Orb's army would hold out on the invaders until they could evacuate in time.
"GET DOWN!" His father yelled, and all four of them got down to the ground, his parents shielding Mayu and Shinn as a dark-blue Mobile Suit, apparently standing on the back of some kind of plane, shot straight past them at low altitude.
Once it was past, they looked up, but the same Mobile Suit fired two beam cannons, mounted over its shoulder, at something on the ground, and as its target exploded they ducked again.
After a while, they stood up again, and Shinn noticed that the blue Mobile Suit had landed on the hillside above them.
Shinn and his father both looked downhill, and saw that the docks were in sight - they were almost there.
They started running, faster now. As they ran, Shinn glanced over his shoulder and saw a flying Mobile Suit (only without a plane carrying it) unlike any he'd ever seen before. Black and white, with huge, blue wings, it leveled a rifle and fired at the Mobile Suit on the ground. There was an explosion, but Shinn was running and didn't see whether the blue mobile suit it had been firing at had been hit or not. It didn't matter to him, they had to get to the docks. That was all.
"Mayu, hurry!" His mother yelled as behind them, explosions flared.
As they ran, Mayu's phone slipped out of her purse and bounced down the hillside.
"NO! My mobile phone!" She yelled, and stopped dead, trying to go after it.
"Never mind that!" Her mother exclaimed, trying to force her daughter to keep moving, but Mayu screamed in response.
Shinn didn't say anything, he just dropped his duffel bag and ran. Straight down the slope, where he had seen the phone fall.
"SHINN!" His father shouted in protest at his son's action, but the latter ignored it as he continued down the hill. That's when he found the pink phone on the ground next to a tree, about two-thirds of the way down.
He picked it up and, as he got up, he saw out of the corner of his eye the black and white Mobile Suit back in the air.
Two cannons, deployed from its wings on its shoulders, pointed downwards. And then, when Shinn looked up, it opened fire.
The hillside above him exploded, and the force of the explosion knocked him to the ground as he screamed, the phone still clenched tightly in his hand. He landed on the cement of the harbor where they were going, dazed, and struggled to stand up.
A few hundred feet away, the evacuation was ongoing.
"Attend to the injured, quickly!" A soldier shouted madly to another as civilians climbed up the gangway to a boat. "Send them a signal that this is a refuge vessel!"
While the soldiers continued with their duties running from one place to another in a hurry without noticing the presence of the dazed young man on the ground struggling to get up, one of them could notice and went immediately to help him.
"Hey, are you all right?" He called out as he reached him. He tried to help him, but Shinn managed to get up on his own, the pink phone clenched tightly in his hand. "This way! Hurry!"
When his mind regained some of notion he immediately startled and then turned his head back to look at the slope where his parents and sister were supposed to be.
The top of the hill had been completely destroyed with a blasted hole. Rock and debris had covered the slope...
"Dad? Mom? Mayu?"
He wasted no time rushing to the crash site ignoring the officer's warnings. He begged as he headed there that nothing bad had happened to his family, but his hopes were shattered when he had a better eyesight and witnessed a scene of sheer horror that he didn't want to happen. He saw behind a large rock, his sister's hand, and ran there.
"Mayu!"
Then he stopped dead, his blood ran cold, and an expression of horror crept onto his face as he realized what he was actually seeing.
His sister's arm had been severed just below the elbow, the sleeve ripped and the limb covered in blood. His sister's body was about ten feet away, also covered in blood, the remaining limbs twisted at strange angles. His mother's body lay just a little distance away. A little further up the slope, he saw his father's corpse on an outcropping of rock, pinned underneath a tree. The rock was stained red all around it.
He knew they were dead. All of them.
The officer saw what had happened and realized what he was looking at.
The boy trembled like a leaf. He fell to his knees, his hands resting on the ground in front of his sister's arm. He started crying. His tears flowed uncontrollably from his face on the ground. He felt so helpless, so small, so powerless.
Why, Why has this had to happen!?
The officer stepped forward.
"Hey..." He began to say, and then the boy turned around, looking directly past him into the Mobile Suits above, his expression distorted by horror, pain, and rage.
Shinn saw it again. The same Mobile Suit, the one he knew had destroyed his family.
Its image, down to every detail he could make out in the distance, was burned into his mind, as the anguish and rage that welled up in him overwhelmed him, and he screamed.
That was the fateful encounter between Shinn Asuka and the ZGMF-X10A Freedom.
Well, that was all for today. As you may have seen, the chapter only covered the points of view of both Setsuna and Shinn on how their respective stories began, the baptism they each received and what the fate will have in store for them. The next chapter I will start with the real story.
By the way, I forgot to add in the Author's Note that as I said before, I will make some changes regarding Shinn, but not only him, but also the rest of the cast of SEED Destiny. Most of everyone will be almost canonical, but as I said before, I will make some differences about the decision making and events that will come to fit them well into my storyand how it will revolve around the existence of Celestial Being.
One important thing I forgot to add as well. In my story Meer Campbell does not exist. Nothing personal, just her role here would be unnecessary.