Greetings, everyone. This is the second fanfiction that I would post here in following Together in Spirit. This is also the sequel to Flight of the Intruders where its main character - William Zapanta and his mobile suit with artificial intelligence - Wing Zero Gundam would again acclimate themselves to yet another universe, although this time, it's a lot closer to home.
As you can see from the title, the anime is now Gundam Seed and thus changes would be inevitable because of the ripple effect caused by the entrance of the newcomers. We shall see how big a splash the Intruders would make here. For now, read and enjoy the first chapter of this second of three stories in the Flight of the Intruders mini-series entitled...
Chapter 1 – Mission Objectives
A mysterious warp hole had suddenly appeared some distance from the mining asteroid side of the neutral colony Heliopolis.
From the said twenty meters in diameter bottomless hole, a nearly seventeen meter robot had slowly emerged from it.
The said machine had stopped spinning on its axis and leveled out as soon as its AI had regained control of its flight systems.
All of this did not escape the notice of the three ZAFT cruisers that were lurking nearby. One of the cruisers (a blue one) had sent two gray giant robots that seemed to be taller then the blue and white one, yet neither of former robots were as bulky as the latter one.
Two more of the said machines were already engaging a strange shaped orange spacecraft as well as space cruiser that had also headed out to join the fight. Debris of other machines was seen floating around the battlefield.
The fight was chaotic enough to be picked up easily by the long-range radar of the newly introduced machine – Gundam Wing Zero.
Inside the gundum, its Filipino pilot was slowly waking up from his unexpected slumber with some help from its AI partner.
"Hey, Zero. Where the heck are we?" William Zapanta was saying as he had gripped the foldable lever controls and scanned the half-spherical screen before him.
The gundam pilot added as he had checked his scanners for the second time. "I'm sure this ain't Taraakan local space since I couldn't even see that planet on the scanners. More than that, where the heck is everyone?"
Two successive blips were shown to the hemisphere's left as the threat alarms were sounded.
The AI had enough time to tell his pilot that they were now in Langrange Point 4 or at the opposite side of where the Earth was in the solar system after they were sucked in by the black hole that the last Harvest battlewagon with the red peaksis had made.
"Wha-" William had said in reply when their radio had picked up some audio transmissions from the strange craft nearing them.
"Hey! You there in the pilot seat of that illegal mobile suit, power down that tin can of yours and come out of the machine with your hands up." A youngish male voice had said in English. "If you don't surrender, I'll destroy you and that shrimpy suit of yours."
"I'd rather not since ya don't even know the secret password," William said with a rogue grin.
The Filipino pilot had also readied his gloved hands and booted feet for some serious managing of the gundam's two control levers and foot pedals respectively.
"You're asking for it, pal." The voice said before the battle had begun in earnest.
-oOo-
Back in one of the two space cruisers that were parked a good distance away from the colony's location a masked man with wavy blond hair was studying the threat screens and viewing screens carefully in the said ship's bridge.
He could see that two of his GINN mobile suits were doing well in taking care of the Earth Alliance transport ship and the other combat units while keeping the lone Moebius Zero at bay.
On the other hand, the two other GINNs that he had sent to investigate the new arrival seemed to be having some trouble.
The mobile suit that looked remarkably similar to the rumored G Weapons was evading their fire with both unbridled agility and speed.
It was almost as if the white and blue mobile suit was taunting his men as it did not even draw any of its other weapons while stashing his only visible twin barreled beam rifle under its left beam shield.
He then ordered the radio communication officer to put the communications between the second flights of GINNs on the ship's speakers.
An unfamiliar young man's voice was heard through the ship's speakers. "Lemme get this straight. I'm in the Lagrange 4 point of Earth space and that humans are separated between Naturals and Coordinators?"
"That's correct, you numbskull." One of the GINN pilots replied, his tone showing his exasperation at the sporadic movements of the bulky yet nimble mobile suit. "Now, could we get back to the point where we kick your butt?"
"Not yet," The first voice said. "What the heck is a Coordinator anyway? Is he a person that coordinates space meetings or somethin'?"
"How dare you insult our race, you Natural trash." The GINN pilot said as he had readied his suit's anti-ship sword for an overhead slash. "Die."
The crew of the ship had to let their gloved or open palms make contact with their faces at the lamest joke ever made on their race's name. Only the masked man did not join them but hung his head instead.
-oOo-
What the GINN pilot did not expect was that the unknown mobile suit had also readied its own weapons. Plus, his suit was doing an uncoordinated polka dance sans the music.
This was attributed to the high caliber titanium rounds from the latter mobile suit's now visible shoulder cannons hitting most of his GINN's body including its cyclopean head. The GINN had later exploded from the ignited missiles and ammunition that were still kept in their storage racks.
The second ZAFT pilot had tried to shoot down Wing Zero only to have his GINN's head slashed away by a newly ignited beam saber that almost appeared out of nowhere. In truth, Zero had drawn it from the said weapon's sheath on its left shoulder.
The panicking pilot then settled to jettison himself and his pilot seat from his holed craft that he had set to self destruct.
William had noted the actions of the said pilot as the latter had punched his way out of his suit and fly away. He had let the pilot go as his attention was shifted to the two mobile suits that were engaging the strangely shaped orange spacecraft.
The gundam pilot had led his machine away from the now exploding mobile suit to escape damage from the resulting debris.
At first, Zero had reported two suits, before it was whittled down to only one.
Yet it was the second mobile suit that was giving the most problems to the pilot of the orange craft as the latter ship was simply outclassed from the start, especially since it was short of one gun barrel out of its original four.
William then directed his gundam to the part of the colony where the combatants were blasting each other to pieces.
In his haste, the Filipino pilot did not notice four other mobile suits who were escaping through another opening at the other end of the colony even though they did briefly show up in his gundam's long range radar.
-oOo-
As if the pilot of the GINN had spotted the incoming gundam, the said cyclopean robot had suddenly made a hasty retreat from its battle with the mobile armor.
The green ZAFT mobile suit had already lost an arm to the mobile armor's accurate fire and had to husband its dwindling power supply in order to reach its mother ship.
It was about that time that a voice was again heard in the gundam cockpit's radio's speaker as it had stopped short of colliding with the prototype mobile armor.
"Impressive stuff, my friend. Taking down those GINNs with little to no trouble at all," The smooth baritone voice said. "But who are you anyway? Are you a Coordinator, by any chance?"
"I'm William Zapanta," The Filipino said. "You could say I'm a Natural since I don't know jack shit 'bout Coordinators."
"Hmm, so what is your machine called since I haven't seen something like it in my whole life?" the voice continued. "Oh yeah, my name's Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, pilot of the Moebius Zero."
"It's Gundam Wing Zero, sir. Zero for short," William said in reply as he was a little awed to be meeting a professional pilot from Earth no less.
"Alright, help me look for any enemy units that might be coming through here." Mu said with some confusion evident in his tone of voice. "Zero huh? Guess our machines have something in common after all even if it is in name only."
The blond pilot's thoughts were in a jam concerning the words gundum as no mobile suit was ever named in such a way, more so since it looked so different from any mobile suit that Zaft had made to fight them.
Mu had decided to file it away for later thought as he and his new ally had an important job to do at the moment.
Mu had known long enough that asking for help from a complete stranger was not the best decision for any Earth Alliance officer but there was still the age old adage about the enemies of your enemies being your friend.
It was that saying plus the fact that both William as well as his winged machine could be the best thing that happened to the Earth Alliance in general and himself in particular, that had made Mu mentally pat his own back for befriending the confused Filipino pilot.
"I will," William replied as he had watched the hemispherical screen and cut the radio link.
The Filipino pilot was still a little confused about the whole Natural and Coordinator thing and really needed someone who could give him the needed answers. This was why he had easily accepted the mobile armor's pilot's offer.
As both William and Mu were patrolling the space colony's perimeter, Zero was telling his pilot that the said colony beside them was used for mining based on his own historical records in the After Colony timeline.
When his pilot had asked why, the AI said that asteroids are good mining prospects since they have plenty of valuable materials such as iron and chromium.
It was around that time when a blip was being shown in the gundum cockpit's hemispherical screen that Zero could not identify. William had pointed this out to the Moebius Zero's pilot while he checked his twin buster rifle's energy reserves.
Wing Zero then pulled out the said weapon from its attachment under the beam shield and split the twin buster rifle into its two components.
This was why when the new mobile suit was nearing the Moebius Zero and its accompanying gundum, it was met with both a horizontal rain of plasma fire and some additional supersonic projectiles fired from the mobile armor's gun barrels.
Mu had told his new wingman that their enemy was Rau Le Cruset, a ZAFT ace and his greatest rival. He had also told William that Rau's suit is called a CGUE.
The said white mobile suit was firing back with its assault rifle, only to miss since both machines had split up at the initial burst.
William had seen a hole in the CGUE's defenses as the former was chasing the Mobius Zero and fired one of the gundum's rifles at the Zaft mobile suit's right side, making some damage to its armor and nearly breaching its batteries.
Because of the fact that he now had two enemies to contend with, Rau had wisely chosen discretion over bravery as his machine entered the colony itself with both the mobile armor and gundum chasing it.
Along the way, Mu had explained to his new wingman the facts about the Heliopolis colony as best as he could while trading fire with Rau inside the large tunnel.
William had listened carefully to the given lecture as he too had fired some plasma beams at the CGUE. He had to maneuver his mobile suit carefully so as not to scrape the tunnel's walls while fighting back.
Both he and Mu had scored some hits on the ZAFT Ace's machine while getting a few hits themselves.
Two of the remaining detachable and remote controlled orange gun barrels were the victims of Rau's wrath as his patience was wearing thin on how to destroy both of his persistent pursuers.
All three had then busted out of the colony's central shaft with the CGUE in the lead closely followed by the mobile armor and the blue and white mobile suit.
All eyes of the five remaining persons still inside the colony, who were standing on the colony's ground, were on the three dueling machines especially the still unidentified mobile suit that was firing its buster rifles one after the other at the CGUE in short bursts.
Behind them was a fourth machine – a grey eighteen meter mobile suit that looked similar in design to the Wing Zero except that it was a little thinner in the upper torso while being a little taller.
The said mobile suit was down on its left knee to facilitate an easy entry and exit for its pilot.
Some ooh's and ahh's were heard from three of the teenagers who were watching the ongoing three way dogfight before the younger girl of the said group had yelled at them to quit gawking and find some cover instead.
On the ground, the said grey mobile suit was in the process of equipping on its back - a green power pack with a Vulcan and two missile launchers on the said pack's right shoulder joints. It had also possessed a very long beam rifle on its left just as the CGUE had dived towards it as the latter machine had evaded the cannon and plasma fire from around it.
The CGUE's assault rifle has swept the concrete ground where the mobile suit was standing on with its fearsome firepower.
76 mm armor piercing rounds had made small explosions on the ground where the eldest of the people there was standing before she had jumped out of the way while telling the others to do the same. Yet, it did not even scratch the now blue and white suit's armored skin.
Everyone then heard another loud explosion nearby.
They had all looked just in time to see a strangely shaped white and red ship, with what looked like legs protruding in its fore section, come out of the smoke and dust cloud.
"What the heck is that ship, Zero?" William said as he was similarly transfixed at the amazing sight in his viewing screen.
"I don't know, William." The AI had answered monotonously. "Let us just hope that it is on our side."
"I read ya on that one," The Filipino said in reply as he had turned his attention back to the battle at hand.
Even Mu was puzzled at the arrival of a warship from the bowels of the Helipolis colony.
The only one who seemed to know what the ship actually was the brown haired woman who had told everyone within earshot that it is the Archangel.
-oOo-
The said battle ship had leveled off from its angled take off before the CGUE could make an attack run on it.
The mobile suit itself had evaded the various beams and projectiles fired in its general direction from the mobile armor and mobile suit.
The ship was hit in a few places before it too had retuned fire.
The missiles fired from the ship were either destroyed by the CGUE's weapons or were simply jammed.
The jammed missiles had hit the colony's already holed shaft, thus splintering the foot thick cables that were holding up the whole shaft even more.
The grounded mobile suit had by then hefted its beam rifle and fired a single shot at the CGUE.
The beam had not only melted the CGUE's right arm but it also made a huge hole on the colony's wall.
Rau's suit had taken off using the newly created hole as an emergency exit with both Mu's mobile armor and Wing Zero still chasing it.
'Damn, that was one hell of a weapon. It's almost as powerful as a buster rifle,' William had thought as the gundam was nearing the now closing wall.
Yet, both mecha were recalled by the now landing Archangel as the pursuit of Rau Le Cruset's CGUE would only merit nothing.
Both mobile armor and mobile suit had turned back and headed for the battleship's location with the grounded suit also making its way towards the similarly grounded warship.
-oOo-
As soon as all mechas had landed, introductions had been made between the civilians (including William) and the enlisted personnel (including Mu).
Mu then requested permission to board the ship since his own ship was destroyed in the battle before Wing Zero even arrived.
The brown haired woman who had been with the teens was later revealed to be Lieutenant Murrue Ramius.
The officer who had temporary taken command of the warship was a black haired Ensign named Natarle Badgiriel.
But the real surprise was that the grounded mobile suit (GAT X-105 Strike) was a sixteen year old boy named Kira Yamato.
The only one who had actually expressed his shock was a bearded thirty something year old man who even remarked that the Strike's pilot was just learning how to shave.
Natarle had told everyone that Murrue was now in command of the Archangel before they had belatedly learned that Kira was actually a Coordinator. Only William had remained confused as everyone else had gasped in shock.
Some of the soldiers had drawn their fire arms but were blocked by Tolle Koenig. Kira then confessed that he is a first generation Coordinator. It was around that time that William had asked on what a Coordinator is.
Kira had chosen to explain to other pilot as they had walked inside. The other officers and teens had also asked the gundum pilot on what his mobile suit was.
They had also asked about how did he and his gundam had actually gotten in the colony as the outside hatch had closed and all the mechas were being towed inside.
William had only replied that he would rather tell it behind closed doors and only to those who really need to know about it.
-oOo-
Zero had silently watched the busy scene before him as the Moebius Zero was currently repaired and re-armed.
He had also heard from the not so clean shaven man who seemed to be in charge that Strike was top priority so its close in weapon system was also to be rearmed.
The AI had kept its silent vigil as the various maintenance crews could only gawk for a minute at the massive machine that looked burlier than their own G-Weapons even though it was a little shorter than the said weapons themselves.
The brown haired man had to tell his people to stop gawking at the gundam and get to work.
Zero was thankful that his pilot had told everyone to leave it alone for the time being.
-oOo-
On the other hand, William was being interviewed by the three officers in the Archangel's bridge.
"I know that my story is pretty unbelievable but it's the truth," William was saying as he had just finished wrapping up his life story so far.
"You're right on the unbelievable part," Natarle said as her grey eyes had narrowed slightly. "I think that you're a spy sent to this colony by ZAFT."
"Look, lady. I'm no spy," William shot back as he had glared at the older woman. "I'm jus' an ordinary college student that had gotten inside a powerful mobile suit's cockpit before endeavorin' on a long journey with women pirates so that I could jus' go home. I kinda doubt any spy could make that kind of tale on the spot."
"Easy, boy." Mu said as he had placed a hand on the younger man's left shoulder. "If you'd like, you can join us along with the kid who has piloted the Strike. We need all the help we could get, y'know."
"Alright, I'm in." William said with a heavy sigh. "Sign me up 'fore I change my mind."
"I'd rather you do change your mind if we didn't actually need your piloting skills and mobile suit." Natarle had mumbled under her breath.
After William and Mu had left the bridge, Murrue had looked at her executive officer and second in command then raised her right eyebrow as if to question her subordinate's reaction to the Filipino pilot's decision in joining them.
The other young woman's face had colored slightly just below some stray bangs of her short black hair before making a quick salute and leaving the bridge completely.
"Natarle, when are you going to learn that military life is more than just following orders and making reports?" Murrue had said to herself before leaving her post as well.
-oOo-
While William was just about to zip up his brand new blue shaded flight suit, Kira had just arrived in the locker room. Mu then gave Kira a bit of a pep talk before going out of the locker room's hatch.
"Mr. Zapanta, are you ok with joining the Earth Alliance military?" The brown haired teen had asked the older one. "I mean, are you willing to kill people for a few principles, however misguided they may be?"
The taller teen had stopped in his tracks and sat down beside the brown haired Coordinator before saying. "Kira, I had already killed a person even before I got here."
After seeing Kira's shocked face, he had continued. "I actually feel bad doin' it too. At the time though, it was either 'im or me. No contest, of course."
Seeing Kira's confused expression, the Filipino had further explained. "I had already faced enemies that are even more ruthless than those soldiers that we have jus' fought. Those guys aren't just satisfied with just killin' ya but also have your internal organs for the takin'."
"Are there even people who are actually that evil?!" Kira was flabbergasted at what the Filipino had said.
The young coordinator had taken a few moments to take some deep breaths and shuffled his feet a bit as he still did not want to wear a flight suit just yet.
"Yeah, but they had ta do it for self-preservation. I'll tell ya the whole story with yer friends later." The gundum pilot had continued evenly. "Then again, I'm still not sure 'bout the revenge part bein' the primary drive between the attacks of yer people on mine but I'd rather let the people of Earth 'ave peace for once. Peace is way too fragile these days."
"For once, I agree with you." The brunet said in reply as both pilots had headed for the hanger while the klaxons were screaming their warnings.
-oOo-
Once both the three combat units had launched, they were met by three GINNS, a CGUE, and a mobile suit that Kira called the Aegis Gundam.
Mu then told his wingmen that the GINNs were more heavily armed and armored then they were last time.
The attacking group had split up with the CGUE joining two of the GINNs against the Archangel and Moebius Zero while the Aegis and the remaining GINN had squared off against the Sword Strike and Wing Zero.
The orange GINN had drawn first blood by firing its ion cannon on the Strike while the Aegis fired its own beam rifle at the approaching Wing Zero.
"William, please don't destroy the Aegis." Kira had told the Filipino on the airwaves. "I'm begging you."
"Alright, Kira." William was saying as Zero had blocked the beams with his beam shield. "I'll jus' keep that red suit busy so ya won't have ta take it out yourself."
A new voice had entered the conversation as the Aegis' pilot had something to say as well.
"Kira, please don't do this. You're a Coordinator so you don't have to be brainwashed and used by these Naturals."
This was immediately followed by yet another youngish voice. "Athrun, don't waste your time with that Natural's lapdog. He's a disgrace to us Coordinators."
"But Miguel…" Athrun was speechless as he had to re-focus on the duel with Wing Zero which was using his beam saber rather than his bigger version of the beam rifle.
The latter weapon was stashed underneath the shield for safekeeping.
"Put a cork in it, ya dumb ass." William nearly screamed as he had enough of the drama in the airwaves while his machine was crossing swords with the Aegis. "Athrun, is it? Kira was only forced to do this ta protect his friends so there's nothin' wrong with that, now is there?"
Before Athrun could interrupt him, the gundam pilot had added. "As fer me, I don't give a rat's ass on whether he's a Coordinator or a Natural or even a wimp. He's simply my wingman, and that's all there is to it."
"Brave words for someone who's going to die here and now," Miguel said as he had prepared to fire his GINN's ion cannon at the pre-occupied gundam. "Say your prayers, Natural."
Kira had seen this coming so he had told William to watch out as he had used the beam boomerang on Miguel's GINN. The boomerang had missed and Miguel had switched targets to the Strike since Athrun had taken the chance to fire a few shots at Zero's large chest area.
William had enough presence of mind to twist his gundam to the right so that the beams had hit the raised beam shield for the nth time. He then had his machine charge at Athrun's own machine once again while dodging beams and returning fire with the now visible machine cannons.
The dogfight had stopped when they had heard the explosion from their left. Miguel's machine had exploded as the Strike's anti-ship sword was previously plunged into the GINNs beam shield and continued on to its torso.
"Miguel!" Athrun shouted as he had realized what had happened to his friend and fellow soldier.
Kira then turned to the now stationary Aegis with its main weapon in the ready as the CGUE was heading towards them. Wing Zero had jetted towards the incoming enemy as both the Strike and the Aegis had remained where they were.
"Kira, Athrun. I'd rather let you guys talk this one out while I take care of dis guy," The Filipino pilot said as he had engaged the CGUE in a short range duel with beam sabers.
"Hey! For your information, I'm actually a woman." An obviously feminine voice had retorted to William's transmission. "And you'd better treat me with respect from now on, you hear me."
As one, all three male pilots said. "Yes, Ma'am."
-oOo-
While all of this was going on, the GINNs with the rockets were engaging both the Archangel and its single fighter escort– the Moebius Zero. Missiles, lasers, and even rail gun rounds had crisscrossed the airspace around the evading warship.
The GINNs and the mobile armor had continued their dance of death amidst the overwhelming fire power from the "legged ship".
"These guys are good," Mu had thought as the Moebius Zero had flitted about in the pink explosions as he had tried to get a lock on the similarly nimble machines.
He had finally found one as the said mobile suit was severely hit by a spread of missiles from the ship's port side launchers but not before it had launched two of its own at the warship.
A short burst later, the ZAFT mobile suit was reduced to a million pieces just as it had shot both its missiles while its wingman had also launched both of its missiles at the mobile armor.
Only one missile had connected at the ship's underside, making some damage while the other three had hit the colony's horizontal shaft instead.
Since the colony's main support had failed completely, Heliopolis had broken apart at the seams as the individual support beams holding its structure had sheared off one after the other with parts of the colony's blocks separating and floating towards space.
The sounds of loud creaking through the dissipating atmosphere had made it clear to the combatants that Heliopolis is dying and it is the best time to escape.
In the ensuing confusion, Kira had screamed as he and the Strike were sucked into space with Wing Zero, the Aegis and the CGUE right behind them.
For those asking who was the pilot of the CGUE who was with Athrun while he was arguing with Kira, that's Shiho Hafnenfus. She's needed to keep the numerical superiority of Athurn's team against Kira, Mu, and William. Like Together in Spirit before, I'll hold the next chapter until I've posted all of the first chapters of the stories I wanted to post here.
Even then, expect the unexpected as I'll add yet another gundum pilot (although he's still in training) and a new twist to the story. Stay tuned.