Hey, peeps~! Here's the next chapter of The Phoenix Rising. I hope you guys are ready for what's coming here. ;) This time, things are really gonna heat up as the resistance discovers what lies at Heaven's Base. ;3
- operation meteor: Well, cataphiles do exist. :3 And glad ya liked that scene, as well as the conclusion! XD I was very determined to have it end on a good note, as well as drive home that Ghost Squadrons aren't invincible. ;3
- 1800009trumbullps . net: Glad ya liked it! :)
- CT7567Rules: Happy you enjoyed the Defender. :) And as for the idea... you'll see~! XD
- KentLinuxStadfelt: Well, Kyle does have data pertaining to the Demolition Dagger, so... who knows? Maybe it may be rebuilt? ;3
(The screen shows only blackness before a small light is shown in the center, growing larger until a fire ignites, panning around to show the Strike Dagger S equipped with the Phoenix Striker flying through space, a tattered American flag shown flapping on a flagpole in a huge colony)
START MIKAKUNIN HIKOUSEN BY TAKAYOSHI TANIMOTO
(The camera pans in towards the colony where it shows several members of the resistance gathered: President Eisenhower, Steven Krane, Mackenzie Samantha Allen, Turbine Martinez, Keith Martinez, Marcus Wolcott and his squadron, Warren Thompson, Robert "Rob" Jackson, Kyle Eisen, and Turbine's squad mates)
Oh yeah! Be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The group is standing before the Redemption in the background, a shadowing mobile suit above them and below the ship)
Pass the orbit beyond the sky (The camera pivots away from them and out to show a map of the Atlantian Reich split into two colors: blue showing the resistance and purple showing the Reich)
I can't hold back this rushing speed (The camera zooms in on Denver as Eisenhower is shown standing atop a tank, waving her hand as she barks an order into a headset she's wearing)
A familiar town becomes a diorama (The screen is flooded with dust as a tank speeds by, showing a single pinprick of light as a shuttle is launched into orbit from Orb)
Burst through the unclear skies (The camera pivots away to show another explosion as a Murasame blasts past, bearing the emblem of Sicario)
Blow away your worries and discontent (The camera zooms in on the wolf head emblem before it starts to flutter as a flag, panning down to show the leader of Sicario, Arnold Franken, on the screen)
Who needs a journey that's by the book? (The commander of the mercenaries waves his hand and three mobile suits blast overhead, their pilots shown with their emblems behind them)
Even if you're lost or trembling, raise the altitude (The mobile suits fly overhead, panning down to show Sicario's Pacific Fleet, each heading towards Orb, the shadow of Djibril over it, his hands cupping around the island)
Oh yeah! Show off, mess up, and stand back up (The image is suddenly shattered as a huge gun shell slams into it before the camera pans to the left to show two ships in shadow, both bearing the flag of the United States Navy)
I'll watch the unknown horizon with you (The camera pans away to show the captain of the Archangel and Heero standing beside one another, their hands entwining)
Now be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The two look at one another before a mobile suit flies past, panning up to show the Strike Dagger clashing with a shadowy mobile suit)
Use the sun that lights tomorrow as a guide (A sinister dark aura surges out from the mobile suit, twin eyes glaring at the assembled warriors, the image of Durandal shown off to the side)
Fly off to the glorious world of freedom! (The image shows the resistance ship and their allies facing down the dark shadow, Djibril's face behind it as he looms over them)
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall
- Steven Jackson 'Spray' Krane
CHAPTER XLIV: Dreadful Discoveries II
HEAVEN'S BASE
DECEMBER 29th, 0073 CE
Start ALLIANCE OF DARKNESS - Massive Impact Vol. 2 - by Shockwave Sound
The entire base was a madhouse.
Colonel Nazara stood before the huge hulking shape that was Project: Reaper. A sneer crossed his face as he licked his lips, as if he could already taste the blood of those being held in Paris. The plan he had conceived was brilliant. To encircle the city, and keep anyone, civilian and soldier alike, from escaping. And with the total destruction of Paris, there would be no medical facilities for those few pitiful survivors who did somehow manage to escape. It was the utmost brutal plan any human being could come up with.
To deny wounded medical care was considered a war crime.
And Colonel Nazara was complicit in crimes against humanity with that very act alone.
The very thought though of the resistance possessing any means of reaching Paris to evacuate the citizens there was impossible. In fact, it made him laugh as he threw his head back. It was absurd. Sure they had a few agents out and about, but in no way did they have the force of will or manpower to enact such a massive evacuation of civilians. The slaughter was going to be glorious. There would be no one who saw America as the good guys after Operation: Scorch.
It would be the Atlantians who ruled the world's opinion.
And it would be the true humans who destroyed the Coordinator menace once and for all.
No matter what actions those rebels did, there was no way to undo the damage done to their reputation and perception abroad. Now, the world would bow to LOGOs, and even if they did somehow showcase the truth, it would take centuries to undo all the damage LOGOs had done to them. No one would trust the United States for centuries to come. And he reveled in that prospect.
The huge shape of the vessel looked a lot like the hand of a god, and he was about to bring divine wrath down on those fools who dared to resist. Maybe once Paris had been leveled, he could do the same to the resistance headquarters if he even found it. Perhaps annihilating another base would do the trick... But then a sudden shake of his head and he drove back those thoughts.
No.
He couldn't let himself get drunk on power for the moment. Maybe once Djibril was removed then he could lay waste to this entire world for refusing to succumb to their primal darkness and wipe out the Coordinator scourge. Then people would see the folly of refusing the will of LOGOs. They would be easily cowed into submission, and then when the second half of the two was brought online, maybe even Mars would fall in line. Yes. The red planet would make an excellent redoubt, or perhaps the new capital of the solar system once LOGOs had colonized it.
But first he had to tend to matters here down on the surface.
And the first one was to make an example of not just those defectors, but also Paris for their stubbornness and refusal to bow to their primal passions.
He turned as he saw one of his subordinates walking up, looking a bit unnerved. Some part of Nazara reveled in it, but the rest of him only saw those men as a means to an end. And right now, he wanted to know the status of the project.
"How's it looking?" he asked.
"So far things are moving along right on schedule, sir," the man said. Despite the calmness of his voice, the way his eyes darted about indicated he was not willing to make eye contact with the colonel. A mere, simple-minded fool, if the colonel ever saw one. "The last few items are being loaded aboard even as we speak."
"What of our secret weapon?" Nazara asked, a small smirk curling his lips upward.
The man gulped nervously. "That... is almost complete, sir. But... there was a bit of a setback..."
Nazara's eyes darkened. "What kind of setback?" he asked coolly. The way he was as calm as water was enough to make the man's face literally drain of blood.
"It's the hostages..." he whispered. "They weren't at the base. In fact, it seems to me that the resistance is actually more potent than we thought..."
The colonel's blue eyes turned into shards of pure hatred. "Explain, now!" he demanded.
"That's just it, sir!" the subordinate wailed. "The resistance somehow managed to bust them out and get them out of Scotland! All I know is that they were able to evacuate them to Edinburg, after which they reunited with an old battleship the rebels somehow got back online, and got them as far away from the country as possible!"
"And where are they now?!" Nazara snarled.
"They dropped off the radar after that!" the man whimpered. He cowered under Nazara's piercing gaze. "And they took with them a bunch of information pertaining to Project: Iron Legion!"
That was not good. Nazara growled in anger. "Did they take any of the AIs?!" he snapped.
"N-No, sir!" the man sniveled. "That was the only good thing... But the fact they got away with all that key intelligence leads me to fear that if the resistance gets their hands on it, like they did with one of the command-class AI that Xen developed... it could be our downfall!"
Nazara was now pissed. All because some old fool had not fallen in line the resistance was now in possession of key intelligence pertaining to Project: Iron Legion. And if they found out its weakness... then their plans would be in jeopardy even more than they already were. His eyes narrowed as he looked down, clenching his gloved fists.
There was still so much he didn't know about the resistance, but seeing that the chaos in the fatherland had spread far and wide, with many civilians - hell most of them had taken up arms against the rightful nobility and royalty! - revolting in the name of idealistic beliefs that were for weaklings. In wars like this, where might made right, it was all about maintaining parity and ruthlessness against ANY genetic flaws, including those that had genetic diseases when they were born in the sacred womb. But these fools clung to beliefs of an archaic nature, in which all who lived on this pure and blue world, including genetic mutants, were equal to genetically pure and pure-blooded Naturals, the true humans.
And yet, these fools were not only holding their own, they were actually beating back the Ghost Squadrons on all fronts, including in Mexico, where Ghoul Squadron was doing battle.
Or rather, where they had done battle.
The colonel still couldn't believe it. Bruno and the rest of Ghoul Squadron, who had been the best of the best, and the most ruthless ever, had been beaten by an entire nest of resistance ants! ANTS! Foolish people who refused to succumb to their primal urges for combat, and who had refused to submit to the will of LOGOs! But it wasn't just that that irked him.
It was the very information from the Windam Reaper's computers that sent chills down his spine.
The combat data that had been salvaged from the remains of the Windam had been siphoned by a few hackers still loyal to LOGOs, and upon viewing it, the information told a very chilling, disturbing, and in some ways, amazing, tale. The resistance-jacked AI had proven to be not just a formidable fighter, but it had actually attained sentience and was now referring to itself as Turbine Martinez, clearly analogous to a son of Xen's former pupil, a Dr. Keith Martinez, if what he recalled was correct. Not only that, but it was also referring to itself in the masculine fashion.
But there was something else that disturbed Nazara.
The combat data also showed that 'Turbine' had adapted 'his' programming to kill Coordinators in a way that had not been intended. No longer was 'he' solely focused on destroying them, but instead 'he' was actively fighting for the same ideals as the resistance. And 'his' programming had been changed, not by anyone, but by actually rewriting it 'himself', at least according to what one of Xen's subordinates theorized, anyway. The AI had also shown to be a very brutal fighter, not holding back against either 'his' kin or the rest of the Atlantian soldiers. And 'he' was also very quick at adapting to different opponents, regardless of how skilled 'he' actually was.
That was the one thing about the learning algorithms Xen had developed. The AIs equipped with them were designed to learn the fighting style programmed into them. But this thing... this AI... 'he' hadn't had such programming. This was a whole new situation. This AI was actively learning on the fly, in the field, and gaining actual combat experience. Plus, the AI also had apparently retreated during a battle, only to surprise Bruno from behind. So 'he' apparently had learned the value of retreating, which was something Xen hadn't programmed into 'him' when she first brought 'him' online.
So it stood to reason that this 'Turbine' was actually going to become a threat if it was gaining actual experience in combat.
After all, even Xen's brilliant programming could only go so far.
And this made him grit his teeth in anger.
He was not about to let that AI get the better of him, if he ever encountered it.
That, he vowed, would be the day it died.
And he would be triumphant.
End ALLIANCE OF DARKNESS - Massive Impact Vol. 2 - by Shockwave Sound
. . .
SATELLITE CITY
CHIHUAHUAN DESERT, MEXICO
DECEMBER 29th, CE 0073
"Say what now?!" Major Mihaly Reyne was floored as he stared in shock at the machine before him and his two companions.
Chloe's eyes were wide as she stared at the cyan optics gazing back at them. Marius, meanwhile, was as pale as a sheet as he inched back from the servo not too far from them.
Dr. Keith Martinez nodded as he stood beside the repair table.
"This is what we were referring to in our communications with you," he explained. "This... is the BOLO Initiative. Short for Battlefield Operator and Logistical Overseer Initiative, it's a program designed to create AIs that work alongside human beings instead of actively turning against them once they attain sentience." His eyes were hard as he folded his arms across his chest. "The very reason for Xen's work is simple: to wipe out Coordinators. But what she doesn't get is that the AI hivemind she plans to create could backfire. If the master AI attains sentience, then there is a huge risk it could go rogue and turn on its masters. And if that happens, then all other AI under its command will do the same thing. And that right there is humanity's extinction just waiting to happen!"
"And this thing is not?" Marius whimpered slightly.
Keith just shook his head in exasperation. "No! The BOLO Initiative is a far different cry than the project Xen is working on!" he remarked. "The project I've been working on is designed to have AI work with humans, instead of against them!" He rubbed his forehead with one hand. "Look. This thing is much different. The key here is that we sever the AIs from the main network they have with one another and close off all back doors into their programming. We isolate them, and we make them unable to link to one another unless it is through consent. This also allows them to learn to trust one another, as well as humans. We also teach them about what they did wrong, instead of focusing on what they did right. This way they can learn for themselves how to correct their mistakes instead of just letting a master AI do it for them. It also forces them to actively cooperate with humans, and their fellow AI, without a mindtwine."
"Mindtwine?" Chloe blinked in confusion.
"Yes." Keith looked up and nodded. "It means having one's mind entwined with another. But that's beside the point. The point is we encourage the AIs to grow, to learn, and to change their behavior themselves instead of forcibly reprogramming them. By encouraging growth, we can ensure they develop their own personalities and quirks, as well as likes and dislikes, etc. It's kind of complicated, but that's the gist of it."
Mihaly frowned. "What about directives?" he asked.
The AI expert actually let out a sound like a laugh mixed with a snort. "Directives? What directives? The main purpose of this is to let the AIs choose their own directives, not force them into a directive that they would feel compelled to wipe out humanity to carry out!"
The old ace narrowed his remaining eye. "..."
Keith finally calmed down. "Look. I can understand your concern. And actually, it's very valid. But as I have said before, it's to allow the AIs to pick their own directives after the war has ended. If one of them is against fighting, then why should we force that AI to continue fighting? What if it wants to become an artist? Or go on to document the past events of this war and the one prior so they are not forgotten? Or what if an AI chooses to go into medicine? The possibilities for their potential, both good and bad, are limitless. But it's my hope that we can show the AIs that humanity does not deserve to be wiped out. AI like Turbine have so much potential for good. It's not right to shackle them to one directive and then have them go to carry on that directive when the mission is complete. AIs need choices. That is what having free will is all about. Picking and choosing."
"But what if an AI chooses to rebel regardless?" Marius asked softly.
The computer whiz sighed. "Then we deal with it like we would any other threat. We take it down." He glanced to the mobile suit's cyan optics and the helm nodded in agreement.
Keith turned back to face them. "That's the main reason behind this initiative. Not only to show that AI and humans can coexist, but also to keep rogue AI from trying to destroy humanity."
Mihaly did see the merit behind such a program. In actuality, it made perfect sense. To have an AI that was smart enough to learn and adapt on the fly, one that had real experience in battle instead of merely programming it into the system coding, was perhaps one of their best ideas yet. That meant that the AI on their side would be able to in theory counter whatever a master AI could throw at them. It also ensured that the AI would be willing to assist humanity by giving good advice to its companions instead of just sending them to the meat grinder.
But just what was this AI like personality-wise? Those cyan optics had been studying them for some time, and finally Keith seemed to realize this and slapped his forehead. "Man! I completely forgot to introduce you guys!"
He stepped back from the repair table upon which the mobile suit was lying flat on its chest. The battered and dented Phase Shift Armor was offline, which was usually an indicator that the machine was offline. But the cyan optics of the mobile suit still glowed with sentience and intelligence, which made him wonder if the resistance had installed advanced battery packs to keep it functional even when the Phase Shift Armor was down. One wing was currently being reinstalled, and the huge machine shifted a bit, as if trying to adjust the weight slightly.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Turbine Martinez," Keith said, gesturing to the winged unit.
The AI raised a servo in greeting. "Hey. Sorry about the mess," it said in a deep, rich male voice with a slight metallic edge to it.
Chloe was surprised. "Wait... Did you just make a joke?!" she blurted.
The machine nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"It's just that... AI shouldn't even grasp the concept of humor!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I do," the AI responded, sounding a bit cross. "I'm not some emotionless machine like LOGOs fears! I do have real feelings, you know!"
"Then what is love?" Marius suddenly blurted.
The AI turned its - no, his - cyan gaze to the scared scientist. "Love? Well, depends on what kind you're referring to," he said. "There are many types of love, and I will admit, it's kind of confusing to me as well. But if there is one thing that is certain, it's that I love my family and am willing to fight to keep them safe, even if it costs me everything."
Marius was gob-smacked. He stared in shock at the AI. Not only had he admitted that there were different kinds, but he had said that he loved his family dearly enough to fight for their safety, even at the cost of his own destruction.
Mihaly glanced into the AI's cyan optics, and he could see that this AI was indeed sentient. His optics glowed with pure intelligence, and he could also sense that he had something most AI did not have: a soul. It was present in his very gaze. "You... You're truly alive, aren't you?" he mused.
Turbine inclined his helm a bit before he seemed to grasp the significance of the question. He then nodded. "Yes. I am," he replied. "I... I know it sounds crazy, but ever since that fight with Bruno, I've felt... alive. And not in the sense of merely being online. True that is one component, but..." He slowly lifted his functioning servo and studied it for a moment, flexing the metal digits. "...it's like... I've had a void within me filled by something. Something... different... than merely code and numbers. It's like I've been given something vital that humans have."
He then lifted his gaze from his servo and turned to look at the photograph of a sunrise on the side of his 'room'. "I don't know how to explain it other than that I think I have a soul. And not an artificial one, either."
Mihaly pursed his lips. "And what do you think of art?" he asked.
The AI turned his helm to look at the old ace. "Depends. I'm not that big on sculpture or abstracts to be honest. I'm more into stuff like this." He nodded his helm in the direction of the photo. "Nature at its finest."
The old ace managed to crack a smirk. "Same here," he admitted. "I always had a fascination for views from the air, so sometimes I would look for such paintings. In fact, back home I had one such painting in my bedroom."
"I see." Turbine nodded. "That sounds lovely."
"Okay, I think we get it, Turbine," Keith remarked with a slight smirk. Then his gaze fixed back on Chloe. "I understand you brought something vital for us, then?"
The female scientist nodded and reached into her lab coat and after fishing around for a bit, she pulled out seven flash drives. "Right here. This is all the data on Project: Iron Legion we could get our hands on." She handed them over to Keith who took one and stuck it into the laptop he carried under his right arm. He pulled it out and set the computer down on a nearby crate. He started to type and brought up the password file. His eyes narrowed before his fingers flew across the keyboard and within two minutes he had bypassed it and brought up the file folders within.
He clicked on one and opened it up.
. . .
EN ROUTE TO UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
DECEMBER 31st, 0073 CE
Eisenhower's eyes narrowed as she studied the map showing the fleet moving out towards Iceland.
Already she could guess that Chairman Durandal was preparing for the assault. Hell, his idea of putting the defectors first was somewhat sound, she could see. But it was also a big flaw. After all, if ZAFT was leading this assault, wouldn't it make more sense to have their forces go first? But there was another aspect that worried her.
It was the fact that ZAFT was launching a full frontal assault on heavily defended positions. The more realistic approach would be to invade from the rear of the base, using Canada and Greenland as springboards to perform an amphibious operation. True Iceland was full of geothermal activity, but all it would take was a map and satellite footage to find their way around those active springs and to the base's rear. A two pronged attack seemed more likely to succeed in her respects. With one foe going from the front, the others could be attacking from the rear to take the base.
Her eyes flicked over the positions marked on the map.
The very layout of the defenses was enough to even make her wary of assaulting the base on a frontal axis. While the rear was also heavily defended, it was not as extensive as the front and sides. It was almost like LOGOs was wanting Durandal to attack from the front.
And he was playing right into their hands.
And that did not count Project: Reaper, whatever it was.
Speaking of... Her eyes narrowed as she glanced to the last known message from her agent in Iceland. She had gone over it so many times it was memorized in her keen mind. But... something about it just seemed... off. She turned her gaze from the table and played the message one last time, listening closely for any sign of a sound that could give away what Project Reaper truly was.
She saw George Treston nod before speaking. "Yes. Project Reaper is a-" She paused it, this time studying the image of his face. It looked like he had been speaking a word when he got impacted by the one who had warned her of the third leader of LOGOs, Commandant Jerrod Ramius, who was by now in rebel custody. She listened to the rest of the message.
"red... nut..."
There it was again. The words 'red' and 'nut'.
But this time, something was a bit clearer. He had been speaking another word when he got hit. So... Maybe...
Eisenhower closed her eyes, tenting her fingers in front of her mouth as she bowed her head.
'Okay. So George told us that there was a supership under construction at Heaven's Base. But as to what kind, that's what eludes us. And yet now... even after all this time studying and analyzing the footage of his last message, even our best agents have yet to grasp it. But there have been recent reports of possibly having hinted in his wording as to what it is. But now... It's only now that I finally can grasp what he's been saying...' Eisenhower's eyes suddenly snapped open as she realized what was lurking there at Heaven's Base.
"Oh... crap...!" she breathed. "They're sailing right into a waiting slaughterhouse!"
She scrambled to her feet and made her way to the door leading into the next train car on the passenger train that had been heavily modified for her use. The door slid open and she emerged into the communications car as one of the technicians looked to her. "Madame President!" he said, saluting.
"At ease, soldier!" she barked.
The man nodded, slowly lowering his arm. "We were just about to page you."
"What have you learned?" Eisenhower asked, worry filling her gut at his tone.
"It's in regards to the last message from Corporal Treston," the man replied. "We finally figured out what he was trying to say."
The President nodded. "I figured it out myself as well," she admitted. "And I'm not liking what it means for ZAFT and the defectors."
"We've been trying to hack into ZAFT's communications frequencies as well, but we haven't had much luck over the last five months," a female technician admitted with a grunt. "At least not until Schenberg's proposal went through."
Eisenhower frowned. She knew of the brilliant man that was Aeolia Schenberg, not just from his works, but also from having met the man himself. A man with an IQ that was well over two hundred, he was known the world over for predicting events based on current geopolitical trends, and it had been he who had advised Eisenhower during her first two years as commander of a much smaller resistance cell. But it wasn't just that. He was also well known within the engineering community for having developed a network for the five main supercomputers across the resistance.
The first of these was the Beast, located in New York City. While it didn't look like much from a first glance, being hand-built by a computer engineer, what made it so potent was the fact it could brute force its way through any firewall that LOGOs could erect. But at a cost in that it could only do one at a time.
The next of these was up in Canada, known as the Guardian for its unbreakable firewalls. Constantly upgraded, tested, and pushed to their limits, these firewalls protected the resistance's HUB network, as well as guarded against hackers that tried to find out information about their operations. But it came at a cost in that it did not have as much memory due to all those firewalls.
The third was hidden away down in Mexico, and was dubbed the Professor due to the vast amount of data pertaining to the past and LOGOs that it had within its memory banks. Anything the resistance needed to dig up, it was there. Even the smallest of facts could be found there. But the downside was it lacked sufficient protection in firewalls, necessitating personnel being stationed there to keep an eye out for hackers.
The fourth supercomputer was secreted within Great Britain, and was called Doctor Who by the people who maintained it, primarily as a joke. But it also made sense, as if someone asked if the Doctor was online, people always asked "Doctor Who?" and left LOGOs operatives confused. The reason why it was called that was because of its ability to diagnose any problem within the network of computers across the resistance.
The last computer, known only as Central, was located in Ireland, and it was perhaps the least powerful of them all, being used to handle the loads of communications that were broadcast across the country. But it was also the most vital, and it was through Central that the genius of Schenberg was revealed.
The five supercomputers were linked together in what could only be described as the VEDA Network. A network comprising those five powerful supercomputers that no one could break into. It was due to this that many figured it would be easier to hack into ZAFT's communications networks, and finally, after all this time, it had been done.
"Then I take it we're in?" Eisenhower asked.
The technician nodded. "Yes. We are." She grinned. "That man's genius really came through for us!"
"How long did it take?" the President inquired.
"Two weeks, nonstop," the male technician replied. "We got lucky on that front."
"Can you tell me if their communications networks are in connection with the defectors and Minerva?" Eisenhower demanded.
The two technicians then looked at one another before facing her and nodding. "They are," the man said. "The Chairman will want to communicate directly with his fleet and the defectors, so that means we can transmit as well. But if we do, then they'll no doubt encrypt them again and it will take us time to breach their encryption again."
"All the more reason to get this going as soon as possible!" Eisenhower said, her eyes hardening.
The woman nodded as she stepped aside. "The main communications facility is up and running," she said, gesturing to the console.
Eisenhower gave a nod as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device. She held it up and pressed a button, causing it to suddenly split in two halves down the middle. A metallic headband connected the two halves that looked like they could fit over her ears. She placed the headset on, and the two 'phones' closed around her ears. A small mike slid out of the left one and a visor segment popped out, covering her left eye. She pressed a second button and the headset's synchronization light lit up as it synced with the main console as she took a seat at it.
Within seconds, she was patched in.
This was it.
She tapped the main switch and at once she could hear voices over her headset. She scanned the frequencies, listening closely as she clasped a hand to one of the headphones covering her ears. She narrowed her eyes before she picked up on Durandal's voice as he was transmitting to his troops.
Eisenhower quickly tapped the switch and the frequency was dialed in.
. . .
GIBRALTAR BASE
DECEMBER 31st, CE 0073
This was it.
The day the end of LOGOs came.
Durandal had to admit, this was the perfect way to start the new year. A new year, which would lead into a new era.
A smile graced his lips as he leaned back in his seat in his office, pondering the very battle that lay ahead.
It was not what many would consider brilliant, but it would suffice. After all, he had a vague idea that some of those defectors would turn out to be trouble if left to run freely. And with the conflict raging in the former Atlantic Federation, the resistance would be very busy indeed, he mused. He had just finished speaking to his forces a few minutes ago, and he was about to close down the main communications line when he heard a chime.
'Hm? Is there another transmission coming through?' he thought. 'It makes sense, but... who could be calling me at this time?'
He pressed the button on his terminal. "This is the Chairman."
"Chairman Durandal!"
The Chairman blinked in shock. The voice that was coming through was clearly panicked, but as to whom it belonged to, there was no denying it. He had heard her speech, as well as her declaration of war.
It was clear as to who it was.
The resistance commander herself. He pursed his lips. How had she managed to breach the secure encryption ZAFT had developed? The resistance had a lot of brilliant people, he understood, but this was supposed to be impossible. Naturals could not crack Coordinator encryption without spending millions towards the necessary computer equipment and upgrades.
But then again, there had been stranger things in war, he mused as he toggled the camera on his terminal.
The image that displayed was indeed the resistance leader, and her eyes were wide in terror. From what little he knew of her and saw in her speech, she was someone who tended to be calm and collected. So to see her so panicked was out of character for her.
"Ah. Well, this is a first. I'm surprised you managed to breach ZAFT encryption, Madame President," he noted, tenting his fingers in front of his face.
"That's not why I'm calling you, you idiot!" the President all but spat.
"Oh? So crude," Durandal remarked.
"Look! I'm not one for niceties right now, so just listen!" the woman snapped. "You're sailing right into a trap!"
Durandal was surprised at her words. "A trap?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sorry to say, but you clearly need to look at the battlefield that lies ahead. There is no way it can be a trap."
"But it is!" she insisted, clasping her hand on the headset she wore. "You're going to be slaughtered out there! All of you! The defectors, your forces, and special forces are all doomed!"
"I clearly think not," Durandal mused. "The battle may be hard, but we will emerge triumphant." Then he narrowed his eyes. "For what it's worth though, considering how you've really thrown a wrench into things for the Atlantic Federation and just about dissolved the Earth Alliance, I'll humor you and listen to what you have to say. So tell me. How am I sailing into a trap?"
"Look closely at the map, Chairman!" the President growled. "You're going for a full frontal assault! That right there is a surefire way to get you into a trap! But that's not what I'm warning you about! Those defenses are only a diversion to keep you occupied for the real threat lurking within Heaven's Base!"
"How are they a diversion?" Durandal asked as he smirked.
"They're meant to tie you down so Project: Reaper can slaughter you all!" the President snarled. "Project: Reaper is the threat you gotta be worried about! What it is... it's a dreadnought! There are two of those things, and they are currently being loaded with Project: Iron Legion, or AI-controlled mobile suits! And each of those dreadnoughts has an AI or two commanding the legions of AI soldiers aboard them!"
Durandal had to admit, she was very imaginative. He merely chuckled. "You really expect me to believe that LOGOs has developed artificial intelligence that is advanced enough to control mobile suits?"
"I have irrefutable proof that that's the case!" the President remarked. Her eyes narrowed. "I've gotten the data from my own intel network, as well as evidence and combat data from my forces down in Mexico!"
The Chairman merely smiled. "I will admit you are a smart person, Madame President. But even you cannot predict the future, least of all the outcomes of battle. So how can you be sure about any of what you say?"
"Don't play the mind games with me, Durandal!" she muttered. "I'm trying to warn you so you don't recklessly sail into a trap that will doom everyone on your side!"
"I think I know what I am doing, thank you very much," Durandal said as he leaned back in his seat, laying his hands on his desk.
"You really don't!" the President snapped. "If you did know, then you would've made plans to attack Heaven's Base from the rear, not the front! That right there shows me that you don't know the first thing about military strategy!"
The rebel commander then shifted in her seat. "Look. We can debate this all day, but you have to turn back, or at least alter your plan of attack! It's the only way!"
. . .
JANUARY 1st, 0074 CE
L4 COALITION
"Oh, please. My plan is foolproof. Whatever we come across, we will deal with it like we have with all our enemies: defeat," Durandal's voice said.
Up in the L4 Coalition, the Blue Masque studied the satellite footage of the attack fleet moving across the Atlantic Ocean. She could already tell that things were not going to be so easy for ZAFT to take the formidable Heaven's Base.
Off to her side stood Melanie as she pursed her lips. "So... this is it..." she mused. "Does he really expect it to be that easy?"
"Somehow I doubt he has even considered the implications here..." the Blue Masque muttered. "And that is very worrisome for all of us..."
. . .
JUDGMENT STATION
"But you are heading into a slaughter!" the President practically screamed. "YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW!"
Spray did not like the way things were going to go. He stood on the bridge of the Redemption, his eyes narrowed. Warren Thompson stood off to his side, arms crossed across his chest as he observed the fleet's path. "They're heading into a trap," he muttered.
"Duh. Like I didn't notice," Spray remarked with a snort. He could only hope that whatever was being planned, didn't end with countless casualties.
. . .
SATELLITE CITY
"I'm sorry. But I'm a busy man," Durandal finally said. "I've heard your plea, and I will not back down, especially since you're a wild card."
The repair bay was now empty and silent.
Keith stood in his office, watching as the plane carrying Turbine entered into Scandinavian airspace. The ship was just about finished prepping for launch, and already he could see it on his monitor. It was an impressive piece of machinery, he noted. But what he was really impressed at were the engines at the back.
They were not ordinary rockets. They were scramjets.
The aircraft circled and began to descend, allowing him to turn his gaze back to the sight of the attack fleet heading towards Heaven's Base.
"Dammit, Chairman...! What are you thinking?!" he muttered.
. . .
EQUATORIAL UNION
"WAIT!" the President cried, only for her voice to finally go dark.
Prime Minister Jingyi Liu crossed her arms as she leaned back in her chair in her apartment, frowning as she watched the fleet via satellite footage. Already things were starting to look bleak for ZAFT, she could tell. All by the looks of the defenses, and the fact that something was lurking out of sight. She felt a shudder race down her spine as she narrowed her eyes.
'What is the Atlantian Reich hiding there...?' she thought to herself.
Recent intel from the resistance had indicated a possibly dangerous weapon there, but there was no proof to back it up aside from testimony from a deceased agent and what intel they had scrounged up through their intel network. But it was enough to make her consider reaching out to the Chairman as well. But she wisely refrained, knowing that she had to bide her time until things were more in the favor of the unity of nations.
. . .
SOUTH OF PARIS
EURASIAN FEDERATION
Brigadier General Neuville stood outside the Redoubt, his eyes fixed on the direction of Paris. His old friend stood beside him, holding a mug of hot chocolate. "Mathieu?"
The man turned to look at Bruno. "What?"
"How long until we win?" he asked.
The brigadier general just shrugged. "We can only hope…"
. . .
SEATTLE
WASHINGTON
Allen gritted her teeth. She knew that Durandal was up to something. And as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't contact him. She could only hope to God that he saw reason. Especially as she had heard of the rumors of Project: Reaper. And that was what worried her the most out of all the possibilities she could imagine.
She gritted her teeth, closing her eyes and praying hard.
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
ARC III
LOOMING NIGHTMARES
END
(Shows two people crying as they see a child's body in the cockpit of a mobile suit.)
Wipe those tears off your face
(The couple look up as a figure kneels, holding a handkerchief in their hand)
C'mon give me a smile
(The figure is revealed as clouds part, showing it to be President Eisenhower as she smiles softly)
Send me off
(The kerchief blows over the screen before fading to show several divisions of resistance soldiers marching off towards incoming Atlantian forces)
With one of your usual sarcastic wisecracks
(One of them makes a wisecrack and grins, the others laughing as they walk off)
Now I gotta go
(As they head into the horizon, the snow begins to shimmer as the camera pans around)
And head off towards the dazzling sunrise
(The sun is shown in front of the troops as they head into it, becoming engulfed in its light)
Where Grim Death beckons me to the battlefield of blood
(The light fades to show the riots breaking out across the former Atlantian Reich countries)
I will not hesitate
(The resistance's bases are shown on a map as Eisenhower stands up before the men and women in her command center)
Someone murmurs to me
(The camera pans to the left, showing Brigadier General Neuville as he stands before his desk, eyeing the surrounding terrain critically)
"This is the end of the world"
(A soldier looks down, whispering "This is the end of the world.")
Yeah, right
(The general snorts as he leans back)
Like hell I can accept that kind of bullshit
(The camera pans up to show Durandal in his office, his eyes narrowed as his fingers are tented)
Once the die is thrown into the air
(Behind him are images of the prior battles playing out, all according to his plans)
Only God knows the outcome
(Eisenhower is shown next as the camera shifts to the right, showing her observing Djibril as he sits in his office)
That's right
(Djibril's eyes are narrowed as he sees the news reports of the battles in America)
NOBODY KNOWS THE FUTURE!
(Heero and Murrue are shown below the three leaders, standing side by side)
So I want to protect you my love
(The camera moves away to show Spray in the command center of one of the 1776th's ships, eyes narrowed)
Your dreams and your future with my own two hands!
(His eyes close as he recalls America in the past prior to the Reconstruction War, images showing the country's glory going past)
I'll carry on, my way!
(He stands up, the images fading, and he turns to face the camera, his eyes going SEED as his phoenix tattoo lights up)
Even if I have to offer up this life
(The image of the bird engulfs the camera before it fades to show his mobile suit, with the Phoenix Striker, facing down a shadowy mobile suit)
I'll carry on, my way!
(The two machines clash, sparks erupting from the point of contact with their beam sabers)
Without doubt, without fail, I will not forget!
(A flash of light cuts across the screen to show an image of Eisenhower's father and grandfather)
Your tenderness that's softer than snow
(Both men have tender smiles on their faces as Eisenhower closes her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks before she turns and walks off)
I'll carry on, my way!
(Eisenhower is shown before a large compliment of machines and tanks, a squadron of air force jets flying overhead, her braid blowing in the breeze)
So carry on, my world!
(The camera pans around to show Atlantian forces assembled before them)
Within the pit of despair, there's a single ray of hope!
(The shape of a large ship in shadow is shown above the Atlantians as the Redemption is shown above the Americans)
And I'll continue to try to catch it!
(Eisenhower is shown in the middle of blackness, a glimmering ray of light shining as she reaches for it)
Forever!
(She is knocked back, but gets up)
Forever!
(A gust of wind blows her back, but she struggles towards the light)
Forever!
(She is shown reaching for it, defiance on her face as the screen freezes, the title of the series appearing beneath her)
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING