Disclaimer: Ralph Eifman is from Gundam 00. Karen Willet and The Frighteners belong to Solid Shark, Jean-Pierre La Flaga and the Blue Knights belong to his brother, Dragoon Swordsman much thanks to the two of them for letting me use their characters. Let's get this going!
Song of the Storm Wolf: Howl of Destiny
By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
First Blood Part One
(November 5th, C.E. 73. Parliament Building, Olofat, Orb Union)
To say the atmosphere inside the council chamber was tense was putting it mildly. The sudden appearance of the Sahaku Patriarch was something no one had seen coming. Sebastian looked to Anthony. The Arctic White Wolf had tensed up with the arrival of the new player to the table. The other nobles were quite shaken at this turn of events, none more so than Mina, Yukimasa, and Kuro.
"I wasn't sure if my ears were failing me when I heard that our nation was willing to take the ideals it treasured so highly and threw them down the toilet." The disappointment was clearly evident in the elder Sahaku's voice, sounding like the parent who caught the children with their hands in the cookie jar, although both the Twin Wolves could sense he wasn't being entirely sincere. "It's an affront to everything the Orb Union stands for. Especially considering the side you chose to throw in with."
"Oh look, It's Miss Pot. Allow me to introduce her to my good friend, Mr. Kettle and call him black!" Yukimasa shot back. His blood red eyes filled with a rage that few had ever seen before. "Your memory seems to be slipping, old man. Don't forget who it was that was trying to orchestrate an alliance between Orb and the Atlantic Federation in the first place! Because I recall how you and Uzumi used to be at each other's throats about breaking our neutrality and now you have the sheer audacity to say that?"
"Yeah, Pop, you're not exactly winning any awards for Father of the Year." Kuro sneered. "Unless it was sponsored by Idiotic Father's Quarterly in which case Mina, Yukimasa, and I would gladly nominate you." His voice dropped two octaves as his space black eyes took on a dangerous gleam. "I guarantee you'd win in a landslide."
Kumiko gave Yukimura a triumphant smirk. "Your sons are right on the money in both regards. You filled Ghina's head with the idea of using the AF's power to cement Orb's position on the world stage and look where it got him! You never cared at all about the good of our nation. You were just in it for yourself, and don't try to deny it!"
Yukimura was unperturbed. "I will admit that I was making use of the Atlantic Federation's resources to bolster Orb's own strength, but at least I was trying to go about it in a subtle manner. This whole treaty with the PLANTs is anything but that!" He looked to Cagalli, who immediately bowed her head. "I can't believe they managed to convince you to go along with this, Cagalli. What would your father think if he knew you were willing to throw away the ideals he was willing to die for?"
Kazuma let out a silent hiss, clenching his hands into fists. Yukimura had made a blatant cheap shot by bringing up the deceased Chief Representative. Even now after two years, it was still a very sore spot for Cagalli. Sebastian saw it too, there was a part of him that feared a brawl would break out soon.
The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due stood up, putting on his best poker face. "With all due respect, Lord Yukimura. Even if you do take back your position as head of the Sahaku family, you have no authority to reverse the decision. I did my homework in regards to this kind of thing. All five Families agreed and signed the treaty. Once that happens, it can only be done so by a unanimous decision." He looked to the other assembled nobles. "I doubt you will get your way."
He didn't quail at the older man's gaze once. Yukimura just settled in his chair, the light catching off the lenses of his glasses. "It appears you have learned much since taking over Unato's place in the Five Great Houses. You are quite correct in that regard, Lord Connor. However, I still argue that this alliance with the PLANTs is a very bad idea. Orb instituted the policy of neutrality for a very good reason." His gaze raked across all assembled. "I hope all of you are prepared to reap what you've sown."
"Tell me, Lord Sahaku, what good did Orb's neutrality policy do when the Earth Alliance came knocking at the door, demanding the use of the Mass Driver?" Anthony cut in. He gave an apologetic look to Cagalli. "Lord Uzumi obviously refused Muruta Azrael's demands, and yet at the same time he turned down ZAFT's offer for assistance. Granted it came from Patrick Zala, but having us here could have made a colossal difference. I admired Lord Uzumi's moral fiber and willingness to stick to his guns, but ideals can only take you so far. I know everyone in this room would never want a repeat of 6/15 ever again."
Cagalli had straightened up a little at the Arctic White Wolf's mention of what happened on that hot summer day in June of C.E. 71. If there had ever been a time when Orb could have used some help that would have been it. To see her homeland ground under the Earth Alliance's oppressive boot was the one thing that trumped her desire to see Orb just left alone to its own devices. She wondered if her father would have bent just a little if Siegel Clyne had been in charge at that time. The two men shared much in common, and it would have been likely they would have become very good friends.
The Sahaku Patriarch was less than impressed. He just gouged his pinkie finger into his ear, clearly more concerned with a buildup of earwax as opposed to listening to Anthony's words. "I won't completely ignore your words, Admiral Russo. June 15th, C.E. 71 was a very difficult day for all of the Orb Union. Even I mourned when the nation fell. I even considered seeing if I could sneak back into the country and provide support for my countrymen, sadly my hands were tied up in other matters. But if anything it just proves why we must stand alone."
"I cannot believe I'm hearing you say this, Yukimura!" Kumiko was about an inch from throttling her fellow noble. She was beginning to understand how Uzumi felt. "I would like us to remain neutral, but I'm not going to sit on my ass when the Earth Alliance comes around making their stupid demands once again. We're not going to repeal the alliance, and nothing you say or threaten us with is going to change our minds! So just live with it!"
Yukimura finally got out of his seat, making for the door. "It appears that we're not going to get anywhere with this argument. I think it would be best if wait a few days. I'm sure by then you'll have settled down, that way we can discuss this like adults." His eyes darkened as he glared at Kumiko. "Be that it may, if anything happens to you…I will be taking over as Chief Representative. I do have seniority after you, Kumiko. Don't forget that." He threw open the doors, stalking out.
Arashi growled, smacking the table in frustration. "Of all times for that bastard to return! He hasn't changed one bit since he left for the USSA!" the Yellow Flash of Orb's sapphire eyes took on a hard glare. "And it sounds like he's right back up to his old tricks again!"
Sebastian looked to the Sahaku siblings, taking in the reaction to the return of their father. Mina was still rooted to her spot, looking like she had seen a ghost. Kuro was grinding his teeth, and Yukimasa's eyes were so bright the Storm Wolf wouldn't be surprised if he started firing lasers from them. He finally spoke. "Kuro, Yukimasa, Mina, I just have to say your dad is a real charmer. I can tell where you got your cutting wit from. Although, you clearly didn't inherit your sense of compassion and morals from him!"
"No, we got that from our mother. Dad has all the emotional sensitivity of a rock. Don't trust a single word he says, Sebastian." Yukimasa growled, so tempted to flip the table over or kick the doors off the hinges. "The day he left for Argentina was the greatest day of my life. No good can come from his being back here. We're all going to need to stay on our toes from here on out. The game just got that much more difficult."
"The old man always has some scheme in the works. He doesn't just think one step ahead, he thinkss about a thousand steps ahead, and then he back tracks just to make sure he doesn't miss anything." Kuro's eyes darkened. It was evident that he was all too familiar with the ways of the elder Sahaku.
"Mina?" Cagalli called out gently to the last of the Sahaku siblings, who still had a blank expression on her face, her eyes glazed over in shock. She snapped her fingers in front of her former rival. "Come on, Mina. Say something!" Mina gasped, finally coming to her senses.
"You all right, sis?" Kuro asked, worry coloring his voice as he went over to put a reassuring arm around his older sister.
"I'm sorry for my inaction earlier, everyone. I was just so certain he wouldn't return." She bowed her head slightly in shame. "I used to be very close to our father. I admired him for his intellect and ruthlessness. Ghina did too, and tried so hard to mimic him. We all know what came of that. Looking back now, I realize just how foolish I was to believe in what Father said. Now that he's returned, I've been bumped out."
"No one saw this coming, Mina. It's not your fault." Kazuma patted her on the shoulder.
"I could have at least said something, Kazuma." Mina was distraught at this new turn of events. "It's only been since the war's end that all five houses are on the same page. We had managed to clear out all the corruption and dissension in the ranks, and now the most volatile element of all has come back into focus. There's no telling at all what that man will do."
"I think this is why I initially stayed out of politics and just wanted to be a soldier." Sebastian said. "Too much concern about the fallout and consequences."
"Join the club!" The Sahaku siblings all said.
(Connor Residence, November 6th. C.E. 73, Connor Residence)
Sebastian sat in his office talking with Sasuke over a secure video link. "I have to admit we need to talk to each other more often. I haven't seen you and Rin in almost forever." He said to his old friend, before asking the vital question. "So how are things going up there in the PLANTs right now?"
The grim expression the blue haired young man gave the Storm Wolf was all the indication he needed. "I'm not going to lie to you, Seb. Things are heating up pretty fast. Don't get me wrong, the alliance with Orb is a big boost to morale, Rin and I are looking forward to fighting alongside you and Anthony once again." He sighed, sitting back in his chair. "On the other hand, it doesn't change there's a lot of people who are still worried about what's to come. Everyone's afraid the Earth Alliance is going to go straight for the nukes again."
"The nuclear weapons are a guarantee on this one." Sebastian sipped his tea before going through some of his paperwork. "The Earth Forces will want to go straight for the jugular this time around. They have the capability, and they will use it. Is Chairman Durandal still trying to negotiate with President Copeland and the other Earth Alliance leaders?"
Sasuke snorted. "The man is a machine! He's been working non-stop for the last three days to get Copeland to see reason! He's using every bit of his diplomatic prowess, but anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see it's not working. Alliance Headquarters is all riled up. They're tired of talking and they want action. The Chairman has been quietly telling High Command to mobilize the troops. Everyone is anticipating the attack. My CO said it could happen any day now."
Sebastian sighed. "I wish Anthony and I could be up there to help you guys out. But we've got problems of our own to deal with here. The Earth Alliance isn't happy that Orb threw in with the PLANTs, so they're planning on attacking us here before too long. We'll be thinking of you, give my regards to Rin in the meantime."
"You know I will." Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement to his fellow student of the blade. "Keep Fenrir sharp and always at your side, Sebastian. This is going to be a rough one." He leaned forward slightly. "I've lost enough friends and loved ones as it is, Grandpa, Seto. I don't want to lose you either."
"I feel the same way, old friend. You and Rin take care of each other. We'll all try and stay alive." Sebastian said, before the screen went dark.
It was then Lacus poked her head in the door. "Hello dear, Am I interrupting anything?" She asked in her usual gentle tone. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's mood lightened some at the sight of his beloved wife. He got up from his desk, walking up to the pinkette and taking her into his arms. Lacus smiled, blushing a little.
"No my angel, I was just finishing a call to Sasuke." He ran a finger along her delicate, pale cheek. "A lot of people are getting antsy up there."
"Is it because of the nukes?" Lacus asked, worry beginning to show in her soft blue eyes, it gave her an almost melancholy expression to them, which didn't suit her at all. However, she couldn't help but feel that way. Even after being a resident of Orb for the last two years, she still had friends residing in the space colonies, and worried about their safety.
"Yeah, all the brass at ZAFT High Command is so certain the Earth Alliance is going to start punting those oversized firecrackers at them any day now. It's a waiting game no one wants to play." He ran his hands through his Angel's hair; it was soft to the touch, feeling like cotton candy. He noticed there was a worried air in her soft, blue eyes. "Do you need something dear?"
"We have a visitor, honey. He's waiting down in the living room." Lacus frowned, causing warning alarms to go off in his head. "It's…Lord Sahaku."
Sebastian's eyes knitted together. "Okay, dear. Let him know that I need to finish up some things here and I'll be done as soon as possible." Sebastian said. Lacus smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. The Storm Wolf went back to his desk to finish up his paper work before heading downstairs. He almost contemplated reaching for Fenrir, currently propped up against the side of his desk, but decided against it.
He was somewhat unprepared for the sight of Yukimura Koto Sahaku sitting on his couch, watching several of the orphaned children Reverend Malchio cared for sitting around the coffee table playing a board game. Sebastian put on his best commander's face, praying he wasn't betrayed anything before welcoming him. "Good evening to you, Lord Sahaku. What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Good day to you, General Connor." The Sahaku Patriarch's tone was relaxed, even friendly, a far cry from the stern frown of disapproval he had worn when crashing in on the meeting the prior day. He stood up, patting one of the children on the shoulder, before offering a slight bow. "Please excuse me for intruding on your home. I was hoping we could speak of some important matters."
"It's not a problem, Lord Sahaku. Let's go up to my study, we can talk there undisturbed." Sebastian wearily led Yukimura upstairs. "Have a seat, make yourself comfortable." He indicated to the leather chair sitting in front of his desk. "Can I get you something to drink?" Sebastian indicated to the liquor cabinet.
The older man shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass for right now." He straightened up, turning all business. "I'll cut right to the chase, General Connor. We got off on the wrong foot. However, I may feel about the path Orb is taking right now, you are the head of one of the Five Great Houses of the United Emirates of Orb. We need to show a sense of unity to the world. I thought I'd come by and try to clear the air between the two of us."
"Clear the air about what, Lord Sahaku? From where I'm standing, you made your point pretty clear the other day. I can't imagine you've changed your mind since then." Sebastian took a seat behind his desk, doing his level best to keep his expression as neutral as possible. Inside his mind was a different story, it was raging at the audacity of the man to come here and dictate terms.
"Those children downstairs hold you and your wife in the highest of regards. It's very noble of the two of you to take them in." Yukimura then steeped his fingers in front of his face. "A few of them mentioned following in your footsteps once they were old enough. I can't help but think they lost their parents in the last war. It seems you and Lacus have as good as become their parents. I can't imagine they'd take it well if something happened to you."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm certain they'll be fine. Reverend Malchio has been doing this for much longer, not to mention the rest of the crew of the Archangel are very protective of them. Anthony and his wife, Loretta are like a second set of parents to them. We've all come to see them as our children. They're much stronger than you think."
Yukimura got up, walking up to the ornate gun cabinet set up against the wall. He took note of two weapons in particular, a double- barreled shotgun and double-barreled rifle. Unlike the other firearms they were of high quality, he immediately recognized the brand. "Holland and Holland?" He remarked. "Regardless of what I think of you, personally… I'll commend you for having good taste in guns, General Connor. I have one of their shotguns." He gave them a closer examination. "Those are the Royal series, if I'm right."
"You'd be correct. It cost me a small fortune." Sebastian eyed the older man wearily as he made his way over the cabinet. He removed the weapon, giving it a once over. "That being said, it was still quite a good investment, .500 Nitro Express with semi-pistol grip. The stock is made of mahogany. This did not come cheap. However I couldn't resist. The same with the shotgun."
"Do they see any use or do they just sit there and look pretty?" Yukimura asked.
"I would never just buy them as simple decoration." Sebastian scoffed. "Twice a month I take them out to the range and do some target shooting. Obviously I wouldn't take them on an operation. I prefer something a bit more robust if you catch my drift." He indicated to the M40 sniper rifles and Benelli M3 tactical shotgun also in the cabinet. "Still, they are a welcome addition to my arsenal."
"You are a man who knows the value of strength, General Connor. I get the feeling you will continue to be of great value to our nation. However…" It was then the Sahaku Patriarch fixed him a challenging glare. "Keep in mind the price that strength comes at. Someone will be waiting for their time to knock you off your throne. I pray that it never happens. I'm certain you don't wish to make any more orphans."
"Oh, don't worry…I always keep that in mind." Sebastian said, silent rage burning inside at the blatant cheap shot, but he wouldn't rise to the bait. He had learned that lesson already. "I'm looking forward to working with you further, Lord Sahaku. I'm certain Orb will flourish now that you're here to help us."
"I have no doubt we will." Yukimura walked to the door. "I'll take my leave of you now, General Connor. Until we meet again." He departed the house, making for the waiting parked black limousine. Yukimura climbed into the back seat, eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "He's going to be more a threat than I initially believed." He readjusted them, the sunlight catching off the lenses. "I may need to deal with him in other ways. Good thing I know someone who owes me a favor."
(Connor Residence, the same time)
Downstairs in the exercise room, Flay was busy on the dance floor. The redhead wore a simple long-sleeved black gymnastics leotard, the ends of the sleeves and the neckline adorned with delicate lace. She spun about in a graceful leap, tucking into a somersault, ending with a back handspring going down into the splits. She looked over to where Kira was lifting weights. Flay sighed as she drank in the sight of her boyfriend.
He wore dark blue shorts trimmed in black, and a white tank top showing how much he had matured in the past two years. The White Knight of Freedom had grown by a foot, his slight frame putting on quite a bit of muscle thanks to the martial arts and sword lessons Sebastian had put him through. He finished his final rep, putting the bar back on the rack.
Kira had little time to breathe as Flay suddenly ran up to him. His girlfriend plopped down in his lap, putting her arms around his neck and giving him the deepest kiss the redhead could manage. The Pilot of Freedom felt himself warm up at the sensation of his Red Queen's breasts digging into him, not to mention the leotard did nothing to hide her gorgeous figure. Flay was blushing herself. "Ooh, my man is so big and strong, nothing can stop him!" She cooed, nuzzling up against him.
"You were always so affectionate, Flay." Kira said pulling his girlfriend a little closer, taking in the scent of the rose scented perfume he had bought for her birthday. The young couple settled in each other's arms, looking out the window. Flay became sad, tears forming in her eyes. He gently brought a hand up to her cheek so they were now eye to eye. "What's wrong, Flay? You know you can tell me."
"I'm scared of what's to come." The redhead whispered, burying her face into her boyfriend's chest. "The attack on the PLANTs is all anyone can talk about, and then we're next. If that's the case, it means you'll have to fight again." Flay whimpered. "I'm scared of losing you." She began to cry softly, only for Kira to gently run a hand through her soft fire-engine red locks.
"You know it was because of your hair that I first fell in love with you?" Kira whispered, causing Flay to quit sobbing, feeling as his fingers continued stroking her hair. "It was always so clean and well kept. I wondered how much time you spent brushing it in the morning, especially when it reflected the light off the sun. You were at your most glorious in those moments. It made me wonder if I even had a chance with you."
Flay sniffled, a slight smile appearing on her face. Her eyes shining with her love for Kira. "You always had a chance. We both just needed to understand each other. And I understand now is how much I love you, Kira Yamato." She brought her hand up to his face. "All I ask is that you come back home to me, alive and in one piece."
"And I love you too, Flay Allster. You don't need to worry about a thing. I will always come back home to you. That is my word." The young couple shared another gentle kiss, letting all their worries fall away for a short time.
(November 12th, C.E. 73, Hereford, England. SAS Headquarters)
The GAT-X510 Reaver Gundam hovered in the sky, surrounding by five mobile suits. Unlike the Dagger series, these machines were sleek with several faceted angles, painted in deep black trimmed in silver just like the Gundam itself. This was the newest addition to the Earth Alliance Armed Forces arsenal, the GAT-06 Strike Raptor.
Created to supplement the more traditional looking Windam and eventually supplant the Dagger series. The Raptor was a throwback to the fighters of yesteryear, even taking the name of one of the greatest of the steel warriors of the sky, the F/A-22 Raptor. The new machine was swift and fast, projecting an intimidating aura; perfect for a unit like the Third Covert Assault Team whose very name was the literal embodiment of fear.
The rest of the Frighteners were fortunate enough to be equipped with the special operations version of the Raptor, the GAT-06S Strike Raptor EMD, made to be even stealthier than the normal model, and would eventually be outfitted to fit each operator's personal preferences. The entire squad quickly took to their new mounts, engaging in practice rounds just like this one, needless to say they were all having a blast!
Willet nimbly guided Reaver through the other mobile suits, driving them back with large, sweeping slashes of her treasured longsword. "All right, people. That's enough for right now. Let's take fifteen!" Five voices all gave positive acknowledgements and the Third Covert Tactical Assault Team took a short break. They were all sweating and exhausted after the short, but intense fight.
An elderly looking gentlemen with white hair coming down to his shoulders walked up assisted by a simple wooden cane. He wore a white labcoat over a dark gray business suit. He gave a slight smile at the black and silver Gundam before addressing the Frightener commander. "Good day to you, Colonel Willet. I'm sorry for interrupting your training session, but I thought I'd stop by and see how you're treating Reaver." He spoke in a mature, cultured voice. His ice blue eyes gleamed with a sharp intelligence. "I trust it's been working as you've wanted it to?"
Willet snapped to attention, offering her best salute to the new arrival. "But of course, Professor Eifman. It's been running like a Swiss watch since it's last maintenance check." Willet always gave proper respect to Professor Ralph Eifman, one of the Atlantic Federation's top scientists and technologists, an expert in the area of robotics. He had been the one behind the upgrading and restoration of the Freedom Mk. II into the force of nature that was Reaver.
Eifman gave a nod of approval. "Superb. I saw the rest of your squad was putting the Raptors through their paces as well. I trust they like their new machines?"
"Very much so, Professor." Captain Eva Zorin said. "The EMDs handle like a dream. They're swift, powerful, not to mention stealthy, which for us is paramount."
"Well, I thought you should know I brought a new addition for your machines." A truck rolled up, the other five Frighteners were surprised at the contents of the trailer. A sleek, mobile suit sized sword colored a deep jet black. It had a fierce look to it, one that immediately appealed to all the Frighteners. Eifman smirked a little. "Say hello to the ES-05 Melee Weapon System. A very recent addition to the OMNI Enforcer equipment list. You have the honor of testing it out."
"While we would never turn down the opportunity to test out a new toy, Professor, but why give us a physical blade when beam sabers are just as good?" Walter asked.
"You can thank your commanding officer for that one. She requested me to forge these weapons for your machines." Eifman looked to Willet, and soon the eyes of all members of the Third CTAT were on her.
The redhead put her hands on her hips. "It occurred to me that our superiors might order us to take down the Storm Wolf and the White Knight. My strategy would call for us to attack en masse, as even they couldn't hold off all six of us at once. Since they both use physical blades of their own, I thought it would be practical for us to have a countermeasure to their Gerbera Straights."
"The Blue Knights and the Phantom Pain will also be equipped with the ES-05, as befitting their status as elite squadrons." Eifman explained, eyeing the swords as a parent looking over their children. "Other than that, they will be made available for the mainline Earth Alliance and Atlantic Federation units if they so request, but I imagine they will be far and few between, with them preferring to stick with beam sabers and combat knives."
Walter smirked, eyeing the sleek black blades. He had to admit there was a certain appeal to them, a test of skill you just couldn't get with a beam saber. "Well then, I suppose it would be wise of us to learn how to use these weapons and quick. What do you say, boss?"
"I can still leave all five of you tied up in knots." Willet gave Eifman an apologetic gaze, before picking up her black and silver helmet. "I'm sorry Professor Eifman, but be ready to put in some overtime. I have the feeling our machines are going to get pretty beat up by the time we're done. Mount up ladies, we're going back to work!"
Eifman sighed, but he knew that the Frighteners were the best of the best. He felt a sense of pride watching the five Raptor EMDs line up against Reaver, onyx blades clutched in mechanical hands as the mighty Gundam drew its Damascene longsword. He sat down on a stack of crates, ready to watch the battle unfold.
It started quick, the six mobile suits rushing into the sky, Willet got in the opening shot, firing Reaver's plasma cannons, before going in for a wide horizontal slash, at Walter's machine, but her second in command knew her moves well, he nimbly maneuvered his Raptor to the side bringing his new weapon up to block. It was then Ioan Lewellyn swooped in behind, his ES-05 in a position for a back handed slash.
The blue and black longsword swept around, meeting its mass-produced counterpart. Willet barely had time to react when another member of the Frighteners came in from her right side, firing with its beam rifle, also popping off a grenade round. The Silver Shadow raised her shield, letting it explode off the plate of laminated armor. "Not bad, love, but your technique still needs work!"
Reaver's twin railcannons came up; firing off three quick shots, before spreading its magnificent silver wings, taking off into the sky, the black and silver Raptors ignited their own engines rising to meet their commander. Willet smirked, before letting loose with Reaver's entire arsenal. The five Strike Raptors barely had time to scatter.
Ioan managed to catch one of the plasma beams on the shoulder, leaving a slowly growing burn mark, and Walter caught one of the 110mm rounds from Reaver's railcannons in the hip, causing his Raptor to sag in the air. The Frighteners' second in command was becoming slightly annoyed. "All right, ma'am. You want us to get tough, then we'll get tough. Listen up, mates." He said to the rest of the squad. "This is what we do."
Willet watched as Walter directed the rest of the Third CTAT into formation. The Strike Raptors belonging to Irene Mackenzie and Malcolm Macleod brought up their beam rifles, each firing a quick barrage, while Ioan and Eva had their ES-05s drawn, engines kicking to life as they headed straight forward, while Walter remained at the rear. "What are they up to?" She muttered to herself. She didn't take long to find an answer, raising her shield to guard from the rifle barrage.
The next two Raptors came in, ES-05s held high for diagonal strikes, coming down from opposite directions. All of Willet's reflexes, training, and instincts came into play, blocking with her own weapon before a wide slash sent them back. Her alarm blared to life as she realized she had left her back wide open. Quickly spinning, the black and silver Gundam to meet the other two members of her squad.
She shut off Reaver's thrusters, letting all 71.5 metric tons of her mobile suit drop into a sudden freefall. The rest of her squad struggled to reorient themselves to try another attack, but Willet was quicker. She primed her mobile suit's engines, rocketing straight for her right hand man. Reaver closed the distance, holding its finally crafted blade at the equivalent of the mobile suit's throat. "Do you yield? Please say yes, because I would have to play hell in order to find a new second in command and break him in."
Walter chuckled. "You win, boss lady. I know when I'm beat." It was no surprise to any of the Third CTAT that their leader would prevail. Even though each of them was lethal in their own right, Karen Willet was on another level entirely. The six mobile suits went to ground, where Eifman was waiting for them with a look of solid approval on his face.
"I trust the new weapons meet your approval, Major Islands?" Eifman said, leaning on his cane. The big Englishman twirled his mustache before looking to his Raptor, the sleek black blade still clenched in its metallic hand. The sun reflected off of it.
"Well, I think we'll need some extra practice with it, Professor." Walter said. "But yeah, I think it will be a welcome addition to our arsenal."
"Superb, then it means I have done my job well." Eifman said, tapping his cane on the ground. "I imagine Colonel Willet will have you whipped into shape in no time. Just make sure you bring the swords and mobile suits back in one piece? I may be a genius, but even I can only do so much with bits and pieces."
(November 14th, C.E. 73, Connor Residence)
Sebastian was in his workshop, pounding away on a new blade, hoping some work at the forge would help calm his nerves over the events of the last few days. Needless to say, it wasn't working very well. He still couldn't get the bad taste of Yukimura's appearance out of his mouth. It was one thing when he had appeared at the council chambers to denounce the alliance with the PLANTs, but it had been another to come into his home and make threats toward his family. A low growl emanated from his lips.
He picked up the leather journal given to him by his old teacher, Un No Blaze, Sasuke and Rin's grandfather had been a true master of his craft, and his legacy was secure in the knowledge passed onto his grandchildren, Lowe Guele, and the Storm Wolf himself. Reasoning that he wasn't going to find the release he was hoping for, Sebastian crashed on the couch. He heard Anthony outside calling his name. "I'm in here, Anthony. I could use some company."
The Arctic White Wolf came in wearing a distressed look. "Hey Pup. I'm sorry to have to break this to you, but we have a big problem!" Sebastian immediately got the feeling his brother had some very bad news. Anthony looked away, not sure if we wanted to look his brother in the face. "Remember all the intel we collected on LOGOS?" He took a deep breath. "It's missing!"
"What?" Sebastian stood up quickly, Anthony took a step back. "We put that data in the most secure server we could find! Hell, we even got Kira himself to do the data encryption on it! It's the same fractal code protocol he uses on the Freedom's operating system to keep it from falling into the wrong hands! How could it all be gone?"
Anthony clenched his teeth, bracing himself for the raging maelstrom he knew was about to be unleashed. "I don't know, Sebastian. I went to check it today, and the entire file was empty. It's been wiped clean."
It was all too much for the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due to take, "FUCK!" he kicked a nearby bucket in anger, sending it flying across the length of the workshop before hitting the wall with a hard, plastic sounding thunk. "Fuck…there goes our leverage against the Earth Alliance! The whole point was to use it and expose those greedy fuckwads to end this quick! Without it, we've got nothing!"
Anthony put a comforting hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "Come on, Bro. Take a few deep breaths, and get your focus back. I know you're pissed off about this turn of events. I am too. Throwing a fit won't change what's happened." The Storm Wolf closed his eyes, falling back on the mediation exercises he'd learned through his life. He then locked eyes with his brother. "You better now?"
"Yeah, thanks Anthony." Sebastian opened the small refrigerator he kept in his workshop, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a pair of shot glasses for him and Anthony. He poured some liquor before the two old friends clinked the glasses together. "Sorry for the outburst, Bro. It just seems like ever since Yukimura showed up, things have been going downhill for us. It's very aggravating."
"I feel exactly as you do, Pup." Anthony said, knocking the liquor back in a single go. "I spoke with Chairman Durandal, offered to have Rachel and the rest of the team join the defense of the PLANTs, but he declined, stating they had more than enough in place."
"I hope he knows what he's doing." Sebastian decided it was time to change the subject. "So how is Loretta? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Being Loretta." Anthony grinned. "She's still as flexible as the day we first met, that's for sure! In fact I think she's only gotten better with time!" Sebastian did his best to stifle his laughter. The redhaired former Earth Alliance pilot would often come over to work out with Lacus and Flay, demonstrating her incredible athletic prowess.
"I'm glad she's keeping you entertained." Sebastian replied, knowing all too well Loretta could twist her body in ways Lacus couldn't even begin to manage. He then got serious. "Tell me, Bro. When things get started, is she coming back to active duty?"
"Oh you know it, Pup. Loretta may be a first class tease and flirt, but she's still a soldier. I couldn't keep her away even if I tried. She's being outfitted with one of the new Murasames I've had customized for the White Wolves. Both of us will have your back out there." The two finished their beers in time for Yukimasa to walk in.
"Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting the bromance." Yukimasa said. "But I thought you should know. We got reports from Ame-No-Mihashara. The Earth Alliance Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Orbital Fleets have departed from Azrachel, and they're on their way to the PLANTs right now!"
The Twin Wolves were now all business. They stood up, shaking off the buzz of alcohol. "When will their fleet make it to L5?" Sebastian was now in full command mode, his concerns for the moment temporarily forgotten.
Yukimasa's face told the entire story, the worst nightmare for all three men about to become a stark reality. "Three days' time, and it has been confirmed…they are carrying nukes!"
"And so it begins." Anthony remarked, walking to the door and looking up to clear blue sky. There was no holding back anymore. The gauntlet had been thrown down, and the first battle of the Second Bloody Valentine War was about to start!
(November 17th, C.E. 73, PSV Voltaire, Bridge)
"I have to admit, Nicol. It's good to see you in that uniform again." Dearka said, taking in the sight of their old friend wearing the red uniform that proudly indicated his status as one of the elites of the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty. "The team seems…complete now that you're back in action. I'm glad you answered our summons."
Nicol smiled, fingering the sleeve. "Not a problem, Dearka. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you guys out during Break the World, but I was content to leave the service and focus on my music career." His expression grew a little sad. "But there was always a part of me that wondered if it would all happen again, that's why I maintained my reserve commission. If the PLANTs needed me, I would be ready." He twisted his body a little bit. "Although I think I might need to get this refitted…it's a little tight around the shoulders."
"It's not necessarily a bad thing, Nick." Shiho gave a smug grin. "I'm sure the girls would love seeing you show off your body." She winked. "You may not have been as popular as Sebastian or Athrun, but I have it on good authority there's a fanclub for you. They like the sensitive type." Yzak and Dearka began laughing as Nicol starting blushing.
All three of his old squad mates snickered. "Regardless, we're all very glad you're back with us, and even brought out the Blitz to help us. We'll need every edge we can get." Yzak said, looking out the bridge window. "According to our intelligence, the Earth Alliance is planning to attack the PLANTs, and they're going to ensure this ends quick by going straight for their favorite toys."
Nicol groaned. "Don't tell me they intend to use nukes again?" To which all three of them just shook their heads. "Wow, talk about unoriginal. I know nuclear weapons are nothing to take lightly, but I can't help feeling like they could have gone for something different."
"We all thought the same thing." Dearka leaned up against the wall, arms folded across his chest. Nicol couldn't help but be a little unsettled at the sudden smirk forming on his old comrade's face. "I guess the Earth Alliance will just have to learn the hard way that we're not about to let history repeat itself."
"What do you guys, mean?" Nicol asked, having kept out of the loop when it came all things military and politics during the last two years. Yzak's expression mirrored Dearka's, and with his ice blue eyes it just made the smirk look all the more sinister.
"The Supreme Council and ZAFT High Command always knew the possibility of a new war would come. We also knew that the Earth Alliance would immediately go for a nuclear strike. We've had two years to prepare countermeasures against such a possibility. They're not going to have it so easy this time." For a few minutes, Nicol saw some of Yzak as he was back in the day seep through. "Just wait and see, Nicol. It will all become clear."
(November 17th, C.E. 73, EAS Nero, Earth Alliance Staging Ground)
Aboard the Agamemnon-class carrier, Nero, Admiral Joseph Winston sat waiting for the final go ahead to begin the assault. For Winston, a longtime supporter of LOGOS and Blue Cosmos, this was the day he had waited for. He impatiently tapped his fingers on arm of his command chair. "How much longer must be wait? Those hourglasses are an abomination that must be wiped from the sky now!" He snapped.
"Admiral Winston, we're getting a message from an unknown source." His communications officer spoke, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Wait just a moment…It's Director Sanada. I'll patch him through now." Winston tapped a button on his chair. The small screen came to life with a blank screen that read "Akimura Sanada" and "Audio Only" in deep blue text.
"Director Sanada, it's good to finally hear from you. So tell me…do we have a green light for the operation? Is it finally time to correct this horrid mistake?" There was no hiding the sheer glee in Winston's voice. The rest of his bridge crew was equally ready, as the Admiral had handpicked them himself. They were all ready for the fireworks to begin.
"Calm yourself, Admiral." A heavily distorted voice spoke. "Remember what happened to Azrael. His impatience and single-minded desire to eliminate all Coordinators is what got him and Sutherland killed in the first place. I was put in charge to keep that very thing from happening again. To be honest I would prefer to subjugate the PLANTs instead of destroying them. They'd be more useful to us in the long run to boost weapon sales. However, Administrator Azrael wants vengeance for his cousin's death two years ago. So yes, Admiral, you have the green light."
Winston's dark chuckle reverberated off the bridge walls as the connection was cut. "Superb, order all mobile suit squadrons to launch. This is the day the Space Monsters are finally slain!" He stood up, holding a clenched fist in the air. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world!"
"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" His crew all declared, mimicking their commander's gesture.
"Oh please!" Mark's voice came in over the squawk box. "Do you have to run your mouth for the entire fleet to hear?" The viewscreen came to life, revealing the Crimson Fox sitting in a mobile suit cockpit, wearing a flight suit colored flame red. "Contrary to what you and your little bootlickers might think, not all of us buy into that shit your bosses insist on spouting all the time."
"What are you doing, Vice Admiral Lamperouge?" Winston snapped. "You're supposed to be on the Dynames guarding the rear flank!"
Mark looked completely nonplussed. He and Winston had never gotten along, and despite having one more star, the Crimson Fox wasn't about to let him of all people push him around. "I left Captain Anderson in charge, he's more than capable of covering that area. I thought I'd take personal command of the mobile suit forces. It would help to have a senior flag officer out there who can make decisions on the fly in case things go bad for us."
"Don't play dumb with me, Lamperouge! I know you better than you think!" Winston hissed. "You just want the glory for yourself!" His fellow flag officer just let out a hollow laugh.
"Oh, don't you dare lump me in with you! I'm not a glory hound, especially when it comes to what we're doing here. I don't get off watching these people suffer, even if they are Coordinators! I think this nuclear assault is completely pointless! The reason I'm out here is to ensure that our people get out of this alive! Good day to you…Admiral!" The screen went blank.
(EAS Dynames, Hangar Bay)
The Crimson Fox silently fumed within the cockpit of his personal mobile suit. It was because of people like him that the Atlantic Federation had fallen so far. Takachi's face appeared on the monitor, wearing his own flight suit, also colored black and red, with a stylized hawk on the side. "Way to put that blowhard in his place, boss. It's guys like him that give the rest of the armed forces a bad name."
"Yeah, we know you're a champion of what the Atlantic Federation is really meant to stand for, Admiral." Ensign Alissa Fortissimo piped in. "If I had my way, I'd kick Winston's wrinkled old ass myself!"
"Then you'd end up dishonorably discharged and kicked out of the Navy for good for assaulting a superior officer, Alissa!" Senior Lieutenant Asher Blackbriar rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was long used to dealing with his teammates. "Don't forget it was Admiral Lamperouge who saved you from getting court marshaled after you crashed your Dagger into the officer's mess."
"She would have found a way, Ash. You know that as well as I do. We couldn't keep her leashed even if we tried." Ensign Taylor St. Germaine replied. The trio had been together since their time at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and knew each other's quirks better than anyone. Taylor simply went with the flow, often snarking at the antics of her longtime friend and squadmate while Asher tried to run damage control.
"Children, behave. We've got work to do." The Crimson Fox mock chided. Despite how Asher, Alissa, and Taylor could get at times, they were all very capable soldiers, and fiercely loyal to him. They had all been quite pleased to deserve directly under Mark's command, with Takachi acting as their field commander. His amusement faded as he went into combat mode. "Mark Lamperouge, Patriot, launching!"
The machine rocketed out into the void of space with the aid of the electromagnetic catapult. A slight hum signified the activation of phase shift armor, which colored the machine black and flame red. It spread its red wings as it began its long-awaited hunt. Mark took a look at his new command, the EAS Dynames, the first of three brand new Archangel-class mobile assault ships, painted in the dark black and gray of the original Dominion. "Looking good, Dynames-Actual. Try not to scratch the paint, Nathan? She is brand new after all."
Captain Nathan Anderson's bemused chuckle could be heard. "Don't worry, Admiral. I'm not that careless. We'll leave a light on for you." Mark responded with a simple double-click, there was no more need for words, especially when so much was at stake.
He was soon joined by four mobile suits painted in the same black and red as his own. They bore a passing resemblance to the Dagger series, with a single visor optic sensor, a large V-fin communications antenna, large shoulders that suggested weapon hardpoints, a pair of beam sabers mounted on the hips, and winged backpacks allowing for extra maneuverability in space and atmospheric flight, along with missile pods for added firepower.
These machines were the GAT-04 Windam, and Mark had managed to requisition four of the Earth Alliance's newest mobile suits for his team. "All right, guys. Nothing fancy, just engage the ZAFT machines." He sighed, looking out into the distance. "We can't do anything about the Neo Peacemaker Force, despite our personal feelings."
"You think the Supreme Council cooked up any kind of surprise?" Alissa's voice missed some of her usual enthusiasm a she gazed at the far off image of the PLANTs. They were beautiful in an alien sort of way. "Because if they did, now would be a great time for them to pull it out. Otherwise several hundred million people are going to die really fast, and I didn't join the service to take part in genocide."
"None of us did, Lis." Taylor was a girl of few words, but even Mark could sense she wanted nothing more than to race in the direction of the Fourth Orbital Fleet and intercept the Windams armed with special Striker Packs carrying nuclear missiles.
"All we can do is our job, girls, nothing more." Asher said, his fingers twitching on the control grips.
"Indeed, Lieutenant. Just go about your duties, and leave me to worry about that kind of thing. It's what I get paid for after all." Mark muttered, noticing a chain of explosions in the distance as the Earth Alliance's first wave ran head long into the ZAFT defensive line. "Okay, boys and girls. There's the party, time to dive into the fireworks!"
"Yes sir!" the other four pilots acknowledged. The five black and red mobile suits made straight for the melee.
(Primary Battlefront, not far from Aprilus One)
It was a sight few people thought they'd ever see again, the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, GAT-X103 Buster Gundam, and the GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam flying in formation together, but it was so. For Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol, it almost felt like the glory days of the Le Creuset Team had returned, even though the absence of their fallen comrades, Miguel Aiman, Rusty Mackenzie, Olor Kudenbru, and Matthew Johansson was a stark reminder of the price war exacted.
But for today, the three friends stood proud and tall with their legendary Gundams, having pulled them out of storage now that the war had started. Also flying with them was a ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom painted a dark blue with a tree painted on both of its shields, currently equipped with a Blaze Wizard pack. Shiho Hahnenfuss may been a later addition to the team, but she was by no means a rookie, having formerly served in the Storm Wolves with Sebastian in the first half of the war.
The rest of the Joule Team flew in formation behind the four senior pilots, all in ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warriors with a mix of Wizard Packs. Dearka looked behind him in satisfaction at the troops he helped command, "You have to admit we make this look pretty damn good, Yzak. I hope the Earth Alliance is ready to find out how just how strong we've become in the last two years!"
"Damn straight, we stopped them from nuking the PLANTs once before. We can do it again!" Nicol said, settling into the Blitz's pilot seat. It felt like an old pair of shoes that still fit. It wasn't long before the first wave of Earth Alliance mobile suits appeared on their scanners. "It looks the Atlantic Federation brought some new toys with them."
"I'm impressed, the Earth Forces made a rather nice looking machine." Shiho remarked, before smirking. "It's a pity, we're going to have to break them." She smirked, raising her beam rifle, while Dearka readied the Buster's 350mm gun launcher and 94mm high energy rifle. Despite being almost three years old, he knew his Gundam inside and out, and was confident it could hold its own.
Yzak smirked. "All forces, this is White Spade Actual, weapons free, and clear to engage!" With that the first real battle of the Second Bloody Valentine War began as ZAKU Warriors and Phantoms met against Windams and Dagger Ls. As soon as the two armies engaged, Yzak and his comrades quickly found this wouldn't be like the last war where they were able to cut down Strike Daggers with relative ease.
The Earth Alliance had learned their lessons well, not only creating several new elite units like Phantom Pain, the Frighteners, and the Blue Knights. Alliance Headquarters also heavily invested in their mainline troops, increasing the quality of their pilot training, and the investment was paying off in spades.
The Earth Alliance pilots were not engaging Yzak and the other Gundams one on one, instead going for engaging two and three at a time. "Wow, these guys aren't going easy on us are they?" Dearka winced, barely avoided getting hit by a Windam and a pair of Dagger Ls, before firing off a barrage of missiles and firing his cannon. Another Windam lunged forward, igniting a beam saber. The blonde gasped, purple eyes widened in shock. His mobile suit wasn't exactly equipped with any kind of melee capabilities, and it seemed his career, not to mention life would end right there.
Luckily, Nicol had him covered, firing off one of his kinetic penetrator darts as a distraction, this halted the Earth Alliance pilot long enough for the Blitz to get in front of the Buster, activating its own beam saber. The stealth mobile suit slashed outward, managing to get the Windam across the torso. "Don't worry, Dearka. I got this!"
"Thanks man!" Dearka said, immediately firing at a pair of Daggers. A Windam reached into a hip compartment, pulling out a small knife, tossing it at the sniper Gundam. The Stiletto anti-armor penetrator was a recent creation of Earth Alliance research and development; they could take out an entire mobile suit if it managed to hit a critical spot like the battery. The only saving grace for the Buster was its Phase Shift Armor.
However, the force of the knife striking the mobile suit was still enough to send the Buster tumbling for a short way before being caught by Shiho's ZAKU Phantom. "Eat this!" the brown haired pilot said, shooting the Windam with her beam rifle, finally silencing the enemy pilot. "Wow, the Earth Forces really have stepped up their game. I don't they've ever been this strong!"
"Just keep at it!" Yzak said, using the plasma cannons that had been installed on the Duel when it received its new Assault Shroud after Jachin II. The orange/blue beams managed to catch one of the new Earth Alliance machines. A second Windam came at the Duel, igniting its beam saber. Yzak immediately put his rifle aside, drawing one of its Lacertas. The two blades of fire intersected.
The white-haired pilot clenched his teeth. This enemy pilot had a decent amount of skill, watching as the Windam's blade managed to leave a nasty mark across the Duel's beam shield. Shiho let loose a barrage of Firebee missiles. Yzak didn't have to worry about them, once again thanks to the wonder of Phase-Shift Armor. Still, it didn't mean he was going to sit there. The Windam didn't have much luck, barely raising its shield to take the brunt of the attack, losing it, and most of its right side. Yzak didn't falter, taking the Lacerta and slashing upwards, causing the stricken mobile suit to explode.
"Man, what I wouldn't give to see Kira and Athrun right now!" Nicol said, making use of the Blitz's Mirage Colloid to evade an Earth Alliance squad, the black and red Gundam quickly decloaked, firing off all three kinetic penetrator darts, each of them connection with a Dagger L, finishing off two more with shots from his beam rifle, and felling the sixth and last machine with his beam saber. "Freedom and Justice would be a big asset at his moment."
Dearka was about to throw his two cents in, when his alarm started ringing. He cued it up. "Oh…My…God." Dearka rasped, a chord of genuine fear in his voice, when he saw the heat signature on his screen as the computer immediately identified it. "Yzak, on a fast approach toward us…it's!"
The pilot of the Duel looked around, trying to find what had his executive officer so terrified about, and then he saw it and understood why. A mobile suit approached the Duel, Buster, and Blitz, Ten wings colored a deep flame red, a matching red torso, jet-black limbs and head. A black shield trimmed in red clenched in its left hand. An MA-M20 Lupus beam rifle colored the same colors clenched in its right. It was a second complete duplicate of ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam, flanked by four Windams, all painted the same black and red color.
"Uh, that is the Freedom, right?" Nicol asked worriedly, watching as the Gundam circled around them, almost as if it was weighing its prey. "Why is Kira fighting for the Earth Forces?"
"I don't think that's Kira, Nick!" Shiho privately hoped she hadn't accidentally crapped or pissed in her flight suit.
"You would be quite correct, Lieutenant Hahnenfuss." A deep baritone voice spoke. "This is Freedom, but it is not the one you know."
Shiho recognized who the owner of that voice was, and her stomach leapt into her throat. "Yzak, that voice, it's Vice Admiral Mark Lamperouge, the Crimson Fox!" She exclaimed, the situation going from bad to apocalyptically worse.
"No…way!" Yzak didn't want to believe it. He had heard of the battle Kira had with Willet and Reaver during the Break the World incident. He hadn't seen the two of them since he was too focused on trying to protect the Meteor Breakers. "The Earth Alliance has two Freedoms?"
"That is correct, Commander Joule." Mark said. "Colonel Willet retrieved Lieutenant Yukari's machine, but we also had a complete set of schematics passed onto us by your former commanding officer. I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to have such a powerful weapon at my disposal." The Crimson Fox raised his beam rifle. "I call her the GAT-X511 Patriot Gundam. Perhaps you'd like to see what my mobile suit can do?"
"You deal with the Duel, Boss Man." The four senior members of the Joule Team could only feel impending doom as the Windams ignited their beam sabers with Takachi's words. "We can handle the others."
"Thank you, Commander Murakumo. Lieutenant Caelstinius, keep an eye on our…friends. Let me know the minute they launch." Mark bit back on the last part. He knew it was just a matter of time before Winston ordered the so-called "Neo Peacemaker Force" to attack their targets.
"Understood, Admiral." Taylor said, hanging back, keeping her cameras on a single point in space.
Yzak growled, raising his beam rifle in defiance. "I'm not going down without a fight! None of us are!"
Mark just smirked, saluting with his own Lupus. "I didn't expect you to, kid." The light of the sun glinted off the tip of the weapon's barrel. "But enough talk. Let's test your worth!" The Crimson Fox got off the first shot with his black and red beam rifle. Yzak shot back with his own rifle followed by a grenade, which was promptly shot out of the sky by Patriot's CIWS. The two mobile suits brought their plasma cannons up, firing at the same time.
Yzak got first blood, noting with satisfaction as one of the beams caught Patriot on the shoulder, but he didn't have time to savor his victory as the Duel was clipped on the right leg and arm, the blue and gray armor smoking from the burn marks the highly charged plasma beams as they careened through the void of space. "Let's see how you do when I'm right up in your face!" A Lacerta was in the Duel's hand in seconds, igniting to life, only to meet its ES04 counterpart in a strong blade lock.
Mark smirked. "Not bad, Commander Joule. You've earned that red uniform after all!" Even after being promoted to the Admiralty and being put in command of the Fifth Orbital Fleet, he was still a stick jockey at heart. He would much prefer to be leading the fight from out front in his mobile suit than remain on the bridge of whatever ship he was commanding from, like his counterparts. The Patriot's rail guns snapped up, spitting out a pair of 110mm shells, catching the Duel off guard. However, Yzak quickly recovered, firing another burst from his plasma cannons.
As the Fox battled with the young warrior with eyes and hair the same shade of ice, the rest of Mark's squad began engaging the other members of the Joule team. Takachi was giving Dearka fits as he nimbly weaved in and out of range of the Buster's weapons, all the while firing his beam rifle, opening fire with the missile pods mounted on his Striker Pack, before zooming in to attack with a quick beam saber strike before retreating back to distance.
"Damn it, where was the Earth Alliance hiding these guys?" Dearka raged, just barely avoiding getting clipped by one of Takachi's beam rounds, before the Buster got racked by a couple of missiles. The blonde snarled, opening fire with the twin shoulder mounted six-tube missile launchers.
The man known as the Hawk pulled back on the control grips, making his Windam perform a quick loop the loop, the missiles sailing lazily by. Dearka just groaned in frustration, connecting his dual weapons together to try and hit Takachi, but the Earth Alliance pilot raised his shield, letting the beam splash off harmlessly.
"You're good, pal, but the one flaw of your machine is that you have no melee capability!" Takachi zoomed in close, dodging the shotgun rounds and beam sabers, not paying any mind as his machine was grazed and scoured. His beam saber coming to life, in a single stroke the forward third of the Buster's main weapon was removed, leaving a molten stump.
Alissa was getting up close and personal with Shiho, beam saber and heat tomahawk both locked in a tight struggle, "How about that? Someone here who actually knows how to fight!" Alissa drawled, before ramming her shield into Shiho's ZAKU. "And here I thought I'd be bored."
"Don't worry, I need the work out anyway!" Shiho shot back. The two female pilots exchanged beam fire. Like Takachi, Alissa remained at range, harassing her ZAFT counterpart with lots of beam rounds, while occasionally firing a missile barrage. Shiho fired back, making use of the added speed from the Blaze pack's verniers, throwing out a spread of her own missiles.
"Time to mix things up!" Shiho reached for a flashbang. The grenade flew out, causing the prerequisite distraction. She reached for one of her two beam tomahawks, letting it fly with a mighty heave. The Windam reached out, deftly catching it out of midair. "You have got to be kidding me!" Shiho was in disbelief.
Alissa admired her new prize. "Hmm, nice craftsmanship, not really my thing though." But this proved to be a mistake, as Shiho went for one of the fragmentation grenades, and much to her satisfaction, the explosion tore into the Windam's side, leaving the entire right shoulder chewed up. "Oh, you bitch! You're going to pay for that!" Alissa snapped.
Shiho growled, raising her beam rifle, but Alissa's reflexes were lightning quick. During her time at the academy many had compared her to a cat in her movements and mannerisms. She wound up with her shield, knocking the weapon out of Shiho's hands. "I think this belongs to you, honey!" The heat tomahawk came up, embedding itself into the Phantom's starboard shield.
"Shiho!" Nicol yelled, raising his beam rifle to aim at Alissa, only to get Asher's Windam right in his face. Instead of firing his rifle or using the beam saber, the mass production mobile suit clenched its metallic fist, decking the Blitz right in the face, causing the Blitz to tumble end over end. "What the? That's not right at all."
"Always expect the unexpected. Anything can be a weapon if used right." Asher smirked, finally drawing his beam rifle and firing at the black and red Gundam. Nicol barely had time to raise his shield, before disappearing under Mirage Colloid. Nicol was able to get to a better position. He quickly decloaked, squeezing off a couple rounds, managing to get the top third of the flight pack's starboard wing, smoke trailing from the damaged spot.
"Think a little scratch like that is going to stop me?" Asher showed no fear. "I don't think so!" He fired his engines, going straight for the Blitz, firing his CIWS, Nicol raised his shield, letting the 12.5mm rounds bounce off, but a few still found their mark, piercing to the Gundam's right shoulder and left leg. Beam sabers came to life, "You're good, Amalfi, but we've spend the last two and a half years improving. You've seen that now."
"Maybe you have." Nicol rasped. "But I wear this red uniform for a reason!" Out of the corner of his eye, Asher saw the Blitz's left arm come up, the arm containing the Gleipnir grappling claw. The Earth Alliance pilot didn't have time to react as Nicol began stabbing at Asher's Windam, getting it in the right hip, left shoulder, and left side of the head. The battered mobile suit staggered back, and Nicol paid his opponent back, decking the mobile suit right in the head.
Yzak looked on with mixed feelings at how his teammates were doing. They had managed to land some good hits on the Earth Alliance machines, but they gave it right back to them. His heart had almost stopped when Alissa planted the beam tomahawk into the shield of Shiho's ZAKU, especially when she could have aimed for the cockpit. Nicol had managed to do the most damage of all to his opponent. Although it seemed like Dearka was having a really bad day.
It was then he was reminded of his own adversary, who was probably the most dangerous of all. Between Mark's many years of experience and the sheer power of his Gundam, it took all of Yzak's skill just to keep up with the Crimson Fox. The signs of their battle were all too evident, the Duel had numerous burns and gouges all over its structure as a result of being hit by plasma fire, shots from the Lupus, and the edge of the black and red Gundam's beam sabers.
However, the Patriot wasn't unscathed either. Yzak had asserted himself well, managing to score a direct hit on the Freedom copy's left side, taking out the railcannon in the process. The two soldiers once again locked blades. "I have to give you credit, Commander Joule. You've been more than a worthy opponent." There was genuine approval in the older pilot's voice. "That extends to your teammates as well. You're all a credit to your uniforms."
"I suppose I should consider that a compliment." Yzak said, silently taking pride in receiving acknowledgment from a soldier such as the Crimson Fox. He recalled Rau having spoken highly of Mark. "But that still doesn't change what's going on! I won't let the PLANTs be nuked!" The Patriot pulled away a little, and deactivated his beam saber.
"Son, I have no need for this either." Mark's voice was sober as he spoke. "Believe me when I say this was not my idea. It's easy to paint us all with the same brush, but a lot of people within our ranks don't agree with those fanatics in Blue Cosmos. I'm the same as you, just a guy putting his pants on one leg at a time and doing his job, even if I'm completely disgusted by it."
"Vice Admiral Lamperouge!" Taylor's voice stopped all combat. For someone usually deadpan and snarky, there was a edge of panic in her voice. "It's happening! The Neo Peacemaker Force is within firing range! Oh no…" The quiet tone was all the indication of what had happened, the first barrage of nuclear missiles had been fired.
"Commander Joule, I can assume your people have some kind of counter measure in place?" Mark's voice was almost conversational, as if he had forgotten he was slugging it out to the death just seconds before. "I can't imagine they wouldn't have after the last time."
"Yeah…as a matter of fact we did. They should be deploying it right now." Yzak said.
"Taylor, can you see anything?" Alissa asked.
"Standby." Taylor said, zooming in. "Yeah it looks a heavily modified Nazca-class is heading straight for the Neo Peacemaker Force. Man, whatever that device is, it's massive." The entire weapon began sparking. "Admiral, whatever it does, it's about to…" Taylor didn't get a chance to finish as the strange device fired a pearlescent beam straight at true.
"The Neutron Stampeder." Yzak breathed, watching as all the missiles exploded, followed by the Neo Peacemaker Force, and then the fleet they had launched from, which just happened to contain the EAS Nero and Admiral Joseph Winston. "Didn't I tell you that we would be prepared, Nicol?"
"Looks like it worked as advertized!" Dearka breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Nicol said nothing, only offering a silent prayer in gratitude that High Command had prepared in order to keep another tragedy like Junius Seven from happening again. He knew Sebastian would have approved of such measures being taken.
"Not bad at all." Mark nodded in approval, before keying the squad frequency. "Let's pack it in, kids. Our job is done here for today. The fleet will probably be in disarray now that Winston is dead. Someone's going to have to take control." He offered a salute to the Duel. "As for you, Commander Joule, good fight."
"Wait a minute, that's it?" Shiho protested, her pride still hurting from earlier. "You just beat the shit out of us and then you're going to just up and leave?"
"Indeed we are, Lieutenant Hahnenfuss. There's no point in our forces staying here when the offensive has clearly failed. I don't think you'll need to worry about the Earth Alliance coming after you with nukes anytime soon." He looked at the four battered ZAFT mobile suits, noting the pride they stood with. "A few words of advice for all four of you, Commander Joule, Captain Elsman, Lieutenant Amalfi, and Lieutenant Hahnenfuss. Do your best to stay alive. When the war ends and all this madness dies down, the world will need people like the four of you. Good, sane people, to put the pieces back together."
"We'll keep it in mind, Vice Admiral Lamperouge." Yzak said. Mark sent out a last double click to them, before saluting with his rifle. The GAT-X511 Patriot Gundam ignited its engines, heading back to the Dynames, the four Windams sliding into formation, two on each side to escort their commander. The Joule Team was left alone to contemplate this turn of events.
(Pearl Harbor, Naval Base, Oahu, Hawaii, Atlantic Federation, Twelve hours after assault on PLANTs.)
Jean-Pierre La Flaga stood on the dock, looking out at the San Diego Bay, taking in the salty air, watching as the naval vessels moved about. A beeping came from the Blue Knight's pocket, he pulled out his phone, seeing he had gotten an email from Mark. A thin smirk crossed his face when he saw the RE: line labeled "Called It!" He allowed himself a quiet chuckle to himself. "So ZAFT did have something to repel nukes, and Admiral Winston's dead? Good riddance to him! One less cancer to mar our country's reputation then."
He sighed. "I guess all that leaves is Orb now." His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts drifted to his cousin. "Mu, you're going to pay for turning traitor! You would throw away centuries of loyalty and family tradition to the Atlantic Federation for what?" the Blue Knight's hand clenched into a fist. "In the end, I'll make sure you pay dearly for this!"
"Hey Boss?" Commander Thomas Markinson, JP's executive officer walked up, an apologetic expression on his face. "General Hansen wants to see you in his office. He wants to go over the specifics for the Orb assault." Jean-Pierre didn't have his family's legendary spatial awareness, but he didn't need it to see the revulsion on his right hand man's face. "Do we really have to put up with him, JP? The man is a lunatic!"
The Blue Knight sighed, he had recalled Mark's warning, figuring that he would be prepared, but his initial meeting with Jack Hansen had been anything but smooth. "Trust me, Tom, I hate this as much as you do. However, Alliance Headquarters wanted us to be part of the attack on Orb, I feel this is more a chance for the brass to show us off. Either way, we still have a job to do, so we have no choice. How's the rest of the squad doing?"
Markinson shrugged. "They're enjoying the tropical weather while they can. It is what Hawaii is known for best, after all. Either way, the boys all know what's to come and they're ready. I have to admit that I'm eager to knock some heads."
"Good, in the meantime, I'll go and deal with General Ripper. I'll meet up with the rest of the squad in a few minutes to give them a full briefing of what's to come." JP departed for the main administration building. It didn't take long for him to find the door with the nametag, 'MG, Hansen J.' marked by a pair of stars. He gave a light wrap on the door.
"Come in!" An intense voice came from inside. JP entered, coming face to face with the man known as "Ripper". Major General Jack Hansen was a career officer in his late forties, his hair, once a deep, lustrous black had been turned gray by age and stress. His gray eyes were bloodshot, with a slightly maniac expression to them. His lips were carved into a perpetual sneer. "Ah, welcome Captain La Flaga, I'm glad you're prompt."
"Any good officer knows the value of punctuality, General Hansen." Jean-Pierre rolled his eyes, doing his level best to stay professional. He took note of the large map displaying the United Emirates of Orb. "I understand you wanted to go over the plan for the upcoming assault and invasion of Orb?"
"Exactly." Hansen said. "The Fourth Naval Fleet will depart from here in a week's time. And then we'll seize Orb for ourselves." He gave an evil grin. "We'll teach them and their ZAFT allies who their true betters really are."
JP gave a mental groan. He could not understand why so many of OMNI Enforcer's senior leadership had such a constant hatred of Coordinators. If it wasn't for Mark and Cornelia, he'd think something was in the drinking water at Heaven's Base! "With all due respect, General Hansen. I would think it would be wise to temper your hatred. I don't know if you've heard but the nuclear strike on the PLANTs was a colossal failure. Admiral Winston died as a result of it."
Hansen just gave a dismissive snort. "Oh please! Winston was a shortsighted buffoon, immediately going for his precious nukes. I don't need such things in order to succeed. I've got something that's guaranteed to work." He keyed the large monitor on the wall, showing the image of what Jean-Pierre's first impression was a giant crab with beam cannons on the legs. "Say hello to the YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah!"
"Is that…a mobile armor?" Jean-Pierre asked. He hadn't thought anyone still would consider using them although this was clearly not a Mobius or Mobius Zero.
Hansen let out a hollow chortle. "Not just a mobile armor, but a new breed of mobile armor, bigger and nastier than anything ever seen before! I was against the creation of our own mobile suits, but unfortunately I got voted out in favor of Halberton's G-Project. I won't deny that it produced results, but I still think we need something more than the Windam. So I took pen to paper and created this. I've got a few designs in mind, to bolster our regular mobile suit forces. These monsters will give ZAFT and Orb nightmares for the rest of their lives!"
The Blue Knight wondered how much good the oversized crab would be, to him it would most likely be a giant target for a swift, nimble machine like Freedom or the Storm Wolf's Maelstrom. Even his own Rapier could have destroyed it. He wisely decided to hold his tongue. Especially when Hansen looked so eager for it to be used.
"So what exactly did you have in mind for the assault, General?" Jean-Pierre decided to steer the conversation toward the battle plan, if just to keep Hansen focused.
"The surface fleet will launch an opening missile strike to soften up the beach defenses. You will lead your Blue Knights in the initial wave, Captain. I want you to drop as many mobile suits as you can to establish a beachhead. It doesn't matter what it costs. Once you've done that, I'll launch with the second wave. We'll march onto Olofat and force the Five Noble Families to surrender."
"Just you wait, Captain La Flaga." The Blue Knight could only look in disgust at the mad gleam in Hansen's eyes. "With your Blue Knights at the tip of the spear, and backed by the power of the Zamza-Zah. We are going to smash Orb into a million pieces! They'll learn the price of betraying the Earth. Those who die will find their place in history for helping me to eliminate this threat to our great nation. "
"Let me stop you right there, sir." Jean-Pierre put a harsh emphasis on the last word. "You may be in overall command here, and I can't change that. However, the Blue Knights is my squadron. Their lives matter to me, and I won't let them be needlessly sacrificed just to feed your ego! If even a single one of them ends up dead. There is no place on Earth you will be able to hide from me!"
"Well, it looks like I walked in on something interesting." The two men turned to see a young woman in her early twenties standing in the doorway. Jean-Pierre quickly sized up the new arrival. The Blue Knight's first guess was that she was Asian from her looks. She had a lithe, hourglass figure, barely hidden by her uniform, indicating she was part of the Republic of East Asia. A pair of brass bells dangled from the hairbands keeping up her long jade-green locks tied in twin ponytails. Her arms folded across her ample chest. "I trust I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Who in the hell are you?" Hansen demanded.
The woman's smile seemed pleasant, but there was a predatory air underneath it. Her bluish-green eyes held an equally predatory vibe. Jean-Pierre thought it might be a good idea to stay on the newcomer's good side. The Blue Knight stood rooted to his place when she walked by, giving him a playful wink.
She walked straight up to the general, looking him dead in the eye, before offering her best salute. "First Lieutenant Yifei Cui, assigned to the 317th Mobile Special Operations Squadron, also known as the Kurokami. I hope you don't mind me dropping in on you out of the blue like this, General Hansen, but I heard you were having a party and I thought I'd crash it."
Hansen's lips curled into a sneer. "Is that a fact, Lieutenant? Well I won't say no to someone who wants to help me put some uppity Coordinators in their place."
Yifei let out a delicate titter. "I wouldn't go that far, General." She held her arms out. "It doesn't matter to me if they're Naturals or Coordinators. I'm just a girl looking for a good fight. My boss, Colonel Mochizuki, and the rest of our squad are currently busy shoring up the Middle East with General Lamperouge's 103rd Division. I was getting bored when I heard about the attack on Orb. We'll be more than willing to offer our services for the battle." She batted her eyelashes. "If you'll have us that is."
Author's Notes: The attack on the PLANTs has failed, and now the Earth Alliance sets its sights on Orb. Here's your Howl of Destiny fix for 2017. Centurious, White Wolf, and I decided to give you a two-parter. So just click that button and move on. We're only getting started!