Chapter Text
The Devil's Legacy
Prologue
"That seems reasonable, to bad I am an unreasonable man."
Anno Domini 2315
Nobody could have predicted this.
Celestial Being had successfully completed their mission of dismantling not only the A-Laws, but the Innovators as well thanks to the help of Katharon. They had even managed to recover Veda before they once more faded to the back of everyone's minds as the inhabitants of Earth picked up the pieces and major reformations were made, this time in the proper direction.
However, even after the defeat of Ribbons Almark and the Innovators, even after top-level members of A-Laws were imprisoned for their crimes, corruption remained. The world thought that as it was putting itself back together, Celestial Being would be there to ensure this corruption was snuffed out quickly and quietly. Nobody could have predicted this.
Ribbons Almark, or perhaps Alejandro Corner, or even the enigmatic Wang Liu Mei had something waiting in the shadows. Something that couldn't have possibly been predicted. It was something too large to be kept secret, unless everyone who once held that secret had been killed before it could be exposed. Upon the defeat of A-Laws, many had taken their lives in fear of the punishment that awaited them. Perhaps there were those among them who knew of what was to come? It matters not.
With Saji Crossroad back on Earth after reuniting with his girlfriend Louise Halevy, Celestial being was already a man down when Allelujah Haptism and Marie Parfacy left behind lives of war and fighting to live somewhere on Earth in peace. None in Celestial Being could hold it against them. However, this severely crippled Celestial Being's fighting capacity. Even with their covert support-unit Fereshte still in the picture with the full support of the Celestial Being-aligned space colony Krung Thep, they were far from full operational capacity. Tieria Erde, incorporated fully within Veda, made himself a new body to continue piloting a Mobile Suit just to help pick up the slack.
Even as the world began to build upon the rubble that made up their foundation for better lives, another war was brewing. However, this was a war that would take more from them than any thought possible. It wasn't a war between nations, or alliances of nations. It wasn't even a war between the space colonies. It was a war against mankind itself.
Aeolia Schenberg was a man of vision. Long after he had passed away, scientists who believed in his cause worked tirelessly to achieve world peace by any means. He had several projects going, each separated from the other. The GN Drives and Celestial Being were two such projects. However, one of his projects was more dangerous than the rest, and dangerous projects attracted dangerous people. Artificial Intelligence. Unlike Innovators and Innovades, true Artificial Intelligence was not based around humans, but around a series of ones and zeros. It was a sort of amoral mathematics that were at the core of true AI.
This Artificial Intelligence was partially incorporated into the development of the Gundam Mobile Suits, but the project was officially dismantled after learning that true Artificial Intelligence was not compatible with humanity. All Gundams had pseudo-AI dwelling within them that helped the Meister in the cockpit pilot more efficiently and a surgical process known as Alaya-Vijnana was required to draw out the full potential of a Gundam. Each Gundam was different, and the pseudo-AIs dwelling within them were unique to each frame. Meisters were matched with their Mobile Suits by compatibility not just with the Mobile Suit itself, but the non-entity dwelling within.
Nearly all Meisters had this surgery done. It was dangerous, but the skilled doctors working for Celestial Being were some of the best around. The Alaya-Vijnana linked a Meister to the Gundam in a way that transcended the limitations of the flesh, or the limitations of metal. It was like a neural-link, but so much more. Gundam and Meister combined in a way that allowed them to become more than what they were before. However, none adapted quite so well to this process as Setsuna F. Seiei. His burning desire to become a Gundam, coupled with the uniqueness of the pseudo-AI within GN-001 Gundam Exia created a bond between the two, allowing him to forcefully awaken GN-0000 00 Gundam when coupled with Exia's GN drive.
The project that created these pseudo-AIs continued on in secret even after the supposed dismantling by more fanatical, dangerous people. As wars waged on and Celestial Being made its debut, they continued, hard at work, determined to see their vision through to the end, not believing in the kind of peace Celestial Being preached.
Nearing the end of the conflict, their work was completed. A brand new kind of true Artificial Intelligence was born. One that could determine how things would go in seconds and decide on a best course of action. The project was a success. Celestial Being was in a dire situation, nearing complete defeat, and though it seemed like the project wouldn't be necessary for years to come an automatic activation sequence and protocol was established so that should certain conditions be met, their project would become active even after they were long gone. This project was named Mobile Armor, true AI dwelling deep within massive machines that were more powerful than anything seen in the recent conflict. These Mobile Armors were capable of destruction on a global scale and even the full might of the world would be useless against them.
On the anniversary of Celestial Being's victory, a countdown timer inside of a vault deep below the surface of the Earth reached 00:00 and these machines roared to life with purpose. To establish permanent peace by any means. However, as 'peace' was a complete absence of conflict, there was only ever one solution. Those working on the project thought they had corrected it. They were wrong. The only true path to peace was annihilation of all those who had the ability and free will to initiate conflict in the first place. This was not optional, and there were to be no delays. However, after analyzing data by infiltrating every corner of the internet, the AI-powered Mobile Armor collective had decided that the one possible thing that could figure out a way to stop them from bringing this 'peace' to the world had to be dealt with first: Veda.
Veda had remained on the dark side of the moon, the task of moving it too great of a task for it to be worth doing while the world was just barely rising from the ashes of the latest conflict. It was guarded by several suits that were controlled by the Tieria Erde consciousness dwelling within the supercomputer, so it was thought to be safe.
While Celestial Being and the Ptolemiaos was cracking open a location revealed to them by Veda, the Mobile Armors were on the move. Finding Nena Trinity, who was long thought to be dead, within a stasis pod was not as big of a shock as Tieria suddenly entering a comatose-like state. When he finally came to, he revealed what had happened. A series of extremely powerful beams had annihilated Veda and his primary consciousness residing within, and the only image in his mind is of something monstrous conducting the attack.
Then, reports started flooding in from their other sources. Dozens of Mobile Suit-looking objects were razing towns and cities to the ground in record time, showing no signs of hesitation or remorse, and all weapons used against these things seemed almost completely ineffective. A call to action was broadcasting on all frequencies, asking all those who could fight to link up with local resistance groups and for those who couldn't to seek shelter. At the end of the message was a desperate plea for help directed at Celestial Being. The voice on the radio belonged to none other than Saji Crossroad.
The world needed Celestial Being once again.
Chapter Text
The Devil's Legacy
Timeline
Anno Domini 2314
For over a year, the Mobile Armors that continued to decimate the population of humanity did so almost completely unmolested. Their beam cannons were incredibly powerful, comparable to the long range capabilities of GN-002 Gundam Dynames. In addition, they were able to construct countless support units referred to as Pluma or Plumes that could easily overwhelm a position in seconds.
However, those two things paled in comparison to the other three things that gave them an incredible advantage other than never needing sleep. Firstly, their primary weapons, which were more or less rocket-powered spears, could puncture straight through a ship, bunker, or mobile suit with ease. Secondly, the answer they had for short-range engagements was particularly deadly. It was an incredibly hard blade attached to a wire made of a unique kind of alloy that allowed it to change trajectory mid-air. It was less like a whip or sword and more like a prehensile tail.
Finally, there was the armor which proved to be the reason the Mobile Armors were such a problem. Their armor nearly completely negated any and all beam weaponry, which meant that reliance on conventional weaponry that hadn't seen much advancement in nearly two decades, of which were was precious little to begin with, was incredibly heavy. Luckily, a combined effort had been able to bring down a single Mobile Armor, deconstruct it, and reverse-engineer the armor so that their own mobile suits would no longer be destroyed in seconds.
This armor was rolled out to nearly every mobile suit available, Gundam or not. Celestial Being had long since decided to share all that would help end this catastrophe short of trade secrets. However, Celestial Being was a very secretive organization, and that was reaffirmed when new Gundam-type mobile suits were seen on the battlefields.
Celestial Being and the world itself had quickly discovered that the Mobile Armors could detect and home-in on GN particles, which meant that they would never have the element of surprise, and when the Mobile Armors started going on the offensive, they could track them down easily. This meant that GN and GN-Tau drives were dangerous to use, and they had to find a way to bring older machines up to spec to fight against the Mobile Armors.
Aeolia Schenberg was a man of genius and vision. However, though his name was at the forefront of everyone's minds when they thought of Celestial Being, he did not work alone. One of his closest partners and friendly rival had constructed an alternative to GN-Frame Gundams. However, only one was ever constructed because the performance of the mobile suit was so high none other than the designer could properly wield it, even with the help of the Alaya-Vijnana system, so the project was put on hold indefinitely. However, upon the destruction of Veda, the information of such was unlocked within each previously Veda-connected terminal, not only unveiling the location of said mobile suit, but also all blueprints and design schematics for it as well.
The suit was designated as ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael. Upon reaching it and opening the cockpit, they found a note from a man named Aganika Kaieru. In the note, he described his relationship to Aeolia Schenberg, their shared dream of a world at peace reaching out to the stars, and why he made Bael in the first place.
Bael was proof-of-concept for not only an alternative to GN Drives, instead having twin reactors that worked in unison known as Ahab Reactors, but also for those who could use Alaya-Vijnana to the fullest and realize true superhuman reactions. At the time, he was the only one who could use Bael, but it was still much too early for their plans to be revealed, so it was kept in storage until such a time demanded it was necessary.
Unfortunately, no Gundam Meister could even awaken Bael. Not even Celestial Being's star pilot, Setsuna F. Seiei. So they had the suit and all schematics shipped back to Krung Thep for reverse-engineering and tried to buy some time for their top engineers and scientists to cook up a miracle. Meanwhile, tens of thousands died each day. The only ways to combat Mobile Armors were conventional weaponry and close-range melee, and too few pilots could survive in a melee against the Mobile Armors.
Anno Domini 2315
Six months after Bael was taken to Krung Thep, the second ever ASW-G type Gundam rolled off the line. ASW-G-02 Gundam Agares. It was a very basic mobile suit that could equip various experimental equipment. During that time, Celestial Being released designs for the Ahab Reactors, carefully omitting the knowledge of how to use two in unison. They were a secret organization, after all.
By this point, Nena Trinity had proved she could be trusted. From what they learned, the Nena Trinity that they had encountered in the past was one of Ribbons Almark's experiments in cloning where he 'programmed' her to have all the faults she did, ensuring she would be as egotistic, sadistic, impulsive, and immature as possible without compromising her mission. This, however, was the 'original' Nena Trinity. Due to her link to the other Nena Trinity, she had not only seen but experienced all she had, including her fiery death.
However, though her personality was similar, this Nena was much less objectionable. Even Setsuna, who had been an unwilling object of her clone's affection, had decided to trust her. Her Meister skills were better than her clone's, something that obviously couldn't be replicated, and she made a valuable addition to the team. Thanks to the recovery of a mobile suit exclusively meant for the other Nena, they even had a Gundam for her to pilot. Though the GNW-20003 Arche Gundam Drei had the same weakness as the others, that being the GN/GN-Tau drives that the Mobile Armors could detect, the ability to use a Stealth Field was valuable as a distraction. Mobile Armors would turn their attention to any large origin of GN activity to quash any would-be rebellion.
Once they had Gundam Agares in their hands, Setsuna was set to pilot it to test out their experimental melee weaponry, as he was not only their star pilot but also an expert of the subject after spending so long fighting with Exia and 00. For the first time, a battle against a Mobile Armor was not a desperate fight for survival, but one where the Mobile Armor had met a worthy opponent. Though it required support from the others, Setsuna was able to strike the final blow against a Mobile Armor without his suit being in complete disrepair. Though the two Ahab Reactors within Agares output more than a single GN Drive, that wasn't the reason things went so smoothly. 00 still had much more power than Agares, and that didn't include the Trans-Am system.
The Mobile Armor simply couldn't track the movements as easily as it could before. Because they were designed specifically to target GN particles, they could read into any movement a GN-equipped mobile suit might make and respond accordingly. Without that edge, they could strike decisive blows against a Mobile Armor. It wasn't long before the the third, and then the fourth ASW-G frames rolled off the line at Krung Thep.
Anno Domini 2316
Production at Krung Thep kicked into high gear soon after Setsuna used Agares to defeat the Mobile Armor. All through the world what few working production facilities worked to output their own Ahab Reactor mobile suits. In addition to this, Celestial Being acquired a new Gundam Meister: Graham Aker. Though the rivalry between he and Setsuna hadn't been snuffed out, he had decided at the end of their last duel that he would follow a similar path as Setsuna to try to understand what it means to just be. However, due to his age he could only have a single Alaya-Vijnana 'interface' surgically installed without significant risk, where as most of the other Meisters had three.
Graham quickly realized what being a Meister was like upon his first 'interface' with the Gundam he was responsible for, ASW-G-08 Barbatos. Even among Gundams, Barbatos was unique. The pseudo-AI residing within Barbatos was ruthless. Barbaric. It was a wolf, barely contained, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and it made Graham a much better pilot than he was before. However, because he only had a single interface, limiters had to be set so as to not cripple him via neural-link overload, though even with those limiters Barbatos and Graham were one of the more powerful Gundam/Meister pairs.
Even with this positive development, the war for survival was still a losing one. This became painfully obvious when one of Fereshte's members was killed in action in one of the new ASW-G type Gundams. The Mobile Armors had started adapting and learning and Fereshte was caught off-guard.
Nena Trinity, out of sense of duty, or perhaps guilt for what her clone had done, continued to pilot the Arche Drei to serve as a distraction. Though this was becoming a larger risk each time she deployed, her actions saved countless lives.
Anno Domini 2317
It became clear that fighting on several fronts was just delaying humanity's extinction. A fifth of the population had been wiped out already. Humanity needed a way to confront what were referred to as 'Angels of Death', Mobile Armors, in a timely manner when they started assaulting major civilian encampments. Without a unified force that could act on its own, it was mostly up to Celestial Being to strike killing blows against the ever encroaching Mobile Armor threat. However, each battle became more and more difficult as the Mobile Armors learned and adapted to each unique fighting style and weaponry Celestial Being brought to the table, which meant they needed to switch out what Gundams were used in combat, which meant continuing the production of ASW-G type Gundam Frames and equipment even after each Meister already had one.
Graham Aker had an idea. If they worked with a small group of skilled pilots, people who were fighting and not politicians, they could minimize tipping any would-be scales in favor of one political power or another. He had the contacts to get it started. He just needed the go-ahead. Sumeragi Lee Noriega gave it to him.
Not long after, a group of particularly skilled pilots became pseudo-affiliates of Celestial Being. This group was comprised of the best of the best, and each one brought something different to the table. It wasn't a large force, only having seven members, but it was quite effective after Graham Aker convinced Sumeragi to allow the seven pilots to have access to Alaya-Vijnana technology and surgery. That had been a difficult thing to achieve, but once they adapted to the somewhat altered technology with their own non-Gundam mobile suits, they became a force that could take down Mobile Armors reliably with the backing and support of Celestial Being. They named themselves Gjallarhorn.
Soon after the creation of Gjallarhorn, a small resistance movement was able to get in contact with Celestial Being. Allelujah Haptism, Marie Parfacy, and Saji Crossroad. Allelujah and Marie had been trying to track Celestial Being down ever since the first major cities started falling to return to their duty, but Saji Crossroad had taken his fiance, Louise Halavy, to a shelter. A shelter that was attacked and destroyed with Saji being one of the few survivors. Louise didn't survive. Saji demanded that he be allowed to fight the Mobile Armors out of rage and hate that he felt over his loss, and though it was a risk, he was allowed to do so. They needed all the help they could get.
Anno Domini 2318
Though over 40 ASW-G type Gundam frames had been produced, several had been damaged beyond repair. Luckily each Meister had at least one other ASW-G type frame they could fall back to, but it was never easy to see a Gundam, something one bonded with and became a part of thanks to the Alaya-Vijnana system, fall to a Mobile Armor. Each time it happened, the Meister inside could feel the non-entity inside the Gundam screaming out, killing itself to protect the pilot within. Though all Gundams were recovered, those that were too far gone laid quiet within, the pseudo-AI seemingly having sacrificed itself to ensure the Meister could continue their duty. Setsuna, who was more in-tune with the Gundams he became linked to, felt this loss on an emotional level.
The Mobile Armors continued to be a threat, even with Gjallarhorn to try to keep them in check. However, it was clear that the Mobile Armors had been planning something from the way they were behaving. Instead of the Mobile Armors themselves, it became Plumas that attacked civilians, the main unit nowhere to be seen. Then, later in the year, it became clear. The Mobile Armors were self-modifying.
Now, they could not only fly, but get into space. They could go anywhere they pleased, and the way this was found out was by what became known as one of the greatest catastrophes to ever happen to Earth. The Mobile Armors attacked the Space Elevator ring, completely destroying an entire section of it and causing it to fall to Earth. Though the largest pieces were destroyed by a quick response, the damage to the Earth due to all the smaller pieces was devastating. To make matters worse, every space colony, the budding colony on Mars that was just starting to take shape, and Celestial Being's own colony were at risk. There weren't enough pilots to sufficiently protect all the valuable assets.
It was decided in a meeting of the highest leaders still alive that it was time to strike back instead of merely being on the defensive. They calculated that there were no more than 30 Mobile Armors still active. If they were smart, they could strike at several at once over and over until they were all destroyed. The risk was great, but the risk of staying on the defensive was greater. For the first time, the leaders of the world joined hands with both Gjallarhorn and Celestial Being.
Anno Domini 2319-2321
Though the Mobile Armors could learn and adapt, they seemed to have a difficult time processing the various mobile suits that were put up against them. Celestial Being, Fereshte, Gjallarhorn, and Earth Sphere Forces joined together to seek and destroy the estimated remaining 30 Mobile Armors by any means necessary. They couldn't risk a total collapse of the orbital elevators or destruction of the ring that supplied them with the necessary energy to continue day-to-day operations, and they most certainly couldn't risk letting the Mobile Armors out into space.
However, the Mobile Armors had learned that when they stood together, it was much more difficult for those who opposed them to coordinate and take them down. This made the fighting much tougher than it otherwise would have. So much tougher that before the final battle, most ASW-G type frames were damaged in one way or another and parts were getting hard to replace. A total of 72 unique frames had been produced, and nearly all of them had seen combat. They decided against using GN-Frame units, however, because the Mobile Armors would detect the GN particles. Even Nena had switched to an ASW-G type Gundam, Sitri. A unit that had been custom-made for her that could utilize a GN-Tau drive that was installed in a shield that came with the Gundam to make a small GN field that would divert attention of any nearby Mobile Armors to her and away from allies. It was one of the few GN-Tau drives still in existence after the Mobile Armors had gone on a crusade to destroy anything emitting GN particles.
The penultimate battle against six of the remaining 13 Mobile Armors had been costly. Three members of Fereshte and two members of Gjallarhorn had died fighting for humanity's survival. Not only that, but both Allelujah and Marie had been critically injured and Setsuna's Agares had been almost completely destroyed as well, one of the only working ASW-G types still fit for combat, but the battle wasn't over. Agares had, like all Gundams, protected the Meister inside over its own non-life, ensuring he could still fight. Without a weapon, though, he was useless against the might of the Mobile Armors. So, his partner, Saji Crossroad, the boy with the twisted fate, hopped into the 00 Raiser and took it to him. It was the only weapon they had left.
However, Saji never made it to Setsuna. The second he launched without permission from the Ptolomaios, which was stationed nearby, the Mobile Armors knew he was coming. A claw tore into the cockpit of the GNR-010 00 Raiser, which was attached to the 00 Gundam, tearing into Saji's comparatively weak flesh. Saji's last transmission was a wish for Setsuna and for humanity to win. The 00 Gundam crashed just meters away from Setsuna. Setsuna, who was fueled by rage, returned once more to the cockpit of the 00 Gundam and commanded it to rise.
The 00 obeyed him despite the damage upon the non-entity within, partially formed form his experiences with Exia due to Exia's GN drive, feeling all the hate, the rage, and the anguish that he was feeling in that moment. Setsuna released every limiter there was, mixing the minds of man and machine more and more, and then activated the Trans-Am Burst system.
The three Mobile Armors that remained shifted focus to Setsuna and the 00. At any other point in time, Setsuna wouldn't have lasted very long under those conditions. With the limiters off and the machine responding to his emotions so well, the Mobile Armors were torn asunder. The GN particles flooded every sensor the Mobile Armors had. There were simply too much to track. Because of this, and because the Trans-Am Burst system made the 00 more powerful in every possible way than any ASW-G type, they stood no chance.
By the time the battle was over, all six Mobile Armors were destroyed, but the damage to the 00 was incredibly severe. Setsuna was once more without a weapon, and it wouldn't be long before they had to go after the last few Mobile Armors. They were several Meisters and pilots down, not enough spare parts or ammo to go around, and low on morale. Not even Ian Vashti could get Exia's own GN drive out of the 00 and into Exia in time. Though they had won the battle, doing so had cost them the war.
Except, there was one more Gundam that was pristine. Never been used. They had kept it on-board Ptolomiaos as a sort of good luck charm, even though nobody could use it. Until that day. Setsuna's rage hadn't been quieted, even after being consoled by both Nena Trinity and Feldt Grace, and he sat in the cockpit, the heart of ASW-G-01 Bael for the second time and linked to the sleeping giant. This time, Setsuna's voice, his feelings, and his thoughts reached the non-entity inside.
The following battle was different. Bael, much like 00, was an incredibly high-spec, experimental unit. For even an excellent pilot, getting it to move would be difficult. However, something within Setsuna had changed before, and changed again after the latest battle. Piloting Bael was as simple as breathing. Though the thoughts of the non-entity never fully reached Setsuna, who was consumed by his anger, Bael responded to his desires. An end to the Mobile Armors. The second Bael stepped onto a battlefield, the remaining ASW-G type frames had something previously locked inside the subsystems unlocked. A kind of Trans-Am system that boosted the performance of the frame in direct response to how much the pilot within could handle, potentially giving more power than even 00 was capable of.
Setsuna used the twin swords Bael had at its disposal to carve his way through the seven Mobile Armors like a hot knife through butter. It was surreal to witness for all those present. Though he didn't do it alone, each of his engagements were both elegant and brutal at the same time, cutting apart the metals of the Mobile Armors easier than a razor cuts flesh.
In the end, Bael was almost completely unharmed. The same could not be said for Setsuna, however. The fatigue of piloting Bael with no limiters with the Trans-Am like system was high. Blood seeped from his eyes and ears. He was lucky to be alive at all. However, Setsuna's various changes had given him a sort of resilience that made him more than the normal human he was born as.
After Setsuna's recovery, he had once more attempted to move Bael into a storage container, but Bael remained dormant. Celestial Being and the remaining members of Fereshte made their way back to Krung Thep with the remains of a Mobile Armor in the cargo hold. There were too many Gundams to transport at once, so they trusted members of Gjallarhorn, supervised by Graham Aker, to get a container full of ASW-G type frames at a rendezvous point where they could come and claim them. They had earned that much trust from the secret organization.
They had intended on finding out more about Mobile Armors than just how to kill them now that the war was over with the goal being finding out who orchestrated the plan that killed almost a quarter of the human population. However, after cutting open the housing for the central control unit, a strange pulse was emitted that instantly shut down all electronics, as well as the colony's life support. Though other electronics soon came back online, the life support did not, as if it was specifically targeted. The only option was to enter Cyrosleep, one of the only ways left that could sustain the entire population of the small colony, and hope for the best.
Chapter Text
The Devil's Legacy
Chapter I
"Young man! I, Graham Aker, shall guarantee that you pilot into the future! This isn't dying, this is living for the survival and future of mankind!"
Post Disaster 323
December 31st
Alarms sounded and bells rang throughout the Krung Thep space colony. Slowly, every inhabitant residing within the colony awoke from their long, icy sleep within Cryostasis as the life support for the colony once more came online. Various Haro units were attending to the stasis pods ensuring a safe and clean thawing process.
Hundreds of souls, once trapped within the confines of sleep, began exiting their dreams. Various groups formed to assist the others who had a harder time standing coming out of stasis, and during that process it became clear by the layers and layers of dust that it had been some time since they first entered the pods. The very last to awaken was Setsuna F. Seiei. When he finally came to, he saw his closest comrades standing around his pod, both grave and hopeful faces among them.
His mind was clouded, but he maintained basic faculties, remembering why they had went into stasis in the first place. They had taken the most intact Mobile Armor they could find to determine who had released it and the others upon the world, but not long after Celestial Being's finest Engineers had started working on taking it apart, it had sent out a kind of electromagnetic pulse that shut down the colony's life support. It was a scramble to get everyone to their Cryostasis pods, and they could only hope that either life support eventually came back online or someone found them. Apparently, it was the former that ended up happening.
Setsuna rubbed his eyes as the fog lifted from his brain. "How long were we in stasis?"
Before someone could answer, Setsuna was practically glomped by two different people at the same time, one with a head of red hair, and the other pink. Setsuna stared at the two girls crying into his shirt before looking back up for answers.
Lockon Stratos shrugged, a small smile on his face. "As for how long, very. You were kept on ice for an additional week for a slower thaw due to the injuries you had before going in."
"How long?" Setsuna repeated, wanting specifics.
"We'll get some food in you and Ms. Sumeragi will explain everything in the briefing." Lockon said, turning away from Setsuna.
"Lockon!"
The taller man turned back to Setsuna, a small, sad smile on his face. "Over three hundred years, Setsuna."
Setsuna felt numb as he walked to Krung Thep's briefing room. On each side was a woman who was dear to him.
On his left was Nena Trinity, the original who had been cloned by Ribbons Almark, much like her 'siblings', who, as it turned out, were not truly her brothers. Unlike the clone, this Nena was capable of the full spectrum of emotions. Though she was still a rough, tomboyish girl who'd sooner pick up a gun than run from a fight, she was much more agreeable than her clone. Like her clone, she too was an Innovade, though that meant little now that Veda was gone.
On his right was Feldt Grace, one of Celestial Being's operators and former lover of the previous Lockon Stratos, Neil Dylandy. Though Neil's loss had greatly impacted Feldt most of all, she'd managed to move on with her life and come to a quiet, gentle relationship with Setsuna F. Seiei before the Mobile Armors made their appearance.
Nobody could accuse the three of them of having a normal relationship, but for those that they were around, it was widely accepted and respected. After all, it wasn't easy to find love while being an agent of Celestial Being, Gundam Meister or not.
However, Setsuna's numbness wasn't just because he had just gotten out of Cryosleep. The fact that three hundred years had passed contributed greatly to that, and judging from Lockon's behavior and what little he could get out of those he spoke with, including Nena and Feldt, those three hundred years hadn't been good.
Setsuna, finally reaching the doors, entered the briefing room to find that all other important people within Celestial Being were already there. Various Engineer team leaders, including Ian Vashti, every living Gundam Meister including those from Fereshte, and even several lead Doctors. In the room was a large screen displaying the logo of Gjallarhorn.
"Setsuna, it's good to see you're up and moving." Ms. Sumeragi said. Setsuna merely nodded, quickly finding a seat next to his fellow Gundam Meisters.
"Alright everyone, as I'm sure you've heard, we were in Cryo for over three hundred years. To be exact, three hundred and twenty three. Clearly, we couldn't just go out to investigate what all has happened with the majority of our Gundams disabled, so I've put our best on establishing connections to any networks in range to find out what's become of the world since."
She clicked a remote control in her hand and the image of Gjallarhorn shrunk, showing off a picture of Mars next to it. "Firstly, the colony has drifted quite a bit. We've drifted all the way to Lagrange 5 of Mars. Mars has come a long way since terraforming began, and there's a moderately large population dwelling on it considering it's only been three hundred years or so."
The image of Mars zoomed in, showing multiple cities, farms, and mines in high detail. Then, it shifted to street views, each one showing more and more of the poverty that had clearly stricken Mars. Various PMC outfits could be seen in the pictures with what seemed to be lightly armored assault vehicles. However, these PMCs clearly employed children of all ages. "The people of Mars, however, are being oppressed financially. Not just Mars, but also on Earth in certain locations and other space colonies. This oppression is all linked back to one entity. Gjallarhorn."
Gjallarhorn's logo once more took up the screen, with various faces in front of it. "Gjallarhorn, as you all know, was a group of highly skilled pilots who fought Mobile Armors alongside us, formed of the comrades of Graham Aker, one of our late Gundam Meisters. However, it seems despite Graham's influence, Gjallarhorn has turned into what amounts to nothing better than what A-Laws was. They're tyrannical in every sense, though they do a better job at putting out a nice public face."
The image on the screen changed to something grotesque looking. It seemed to be a metal protrusion from a human's spine with a hexagonal ending almost like a spike. It looked almost like.. "Somehow, scientists among Gjallarhorn were able to replicate the Alaya-Vijnana implants, though they all seem to look like this, and it's not nearly as safe. The practice has long since been banned, but the practice is still in use by various rogue entities who are not directly under Gjallarhorn's control."
There were mutters among the crowd, commenting about how poorly the Alaya-Vijnana reverse engineering was done. Then, the image of the screen changed again to a Mobile Suit. One that clearly wasn't as advanced as older models used to be before the Mobile Armors. "This is the typical Mobile Suit that Gjallarhorn uses. It's called a 'Geirail', and its successor is called the 'Graze'. They're both reliant upon single Ahab reactors. They seem to be designed from the Valkyrja frames that Gjallarhorn was once entrusted with, though their performance isn't nearly as good."
Next, the image changed to weaponry used by Mobile Suits. "Conventional Weaponry has made a comeback. It seems that the majority of Mobile Suits still rely on Nanolaminate Armor, which means beam weaponry isn't as effective. However, Ian says that he's confident their armor isn't nearly strong enough to stop any beam weaponry we have." Ian Vashti, leaning up against the wall, nodded in affirmation. He'd come to realize after watching combat footage of the new Mobile Suits that their armor wasn't nearly as strong as it should be. At best it might dissipate weaker beam weaponry, but he doubted it.
"Also, it seems that we've been written out of the history books. Completely. Not a single reference to Celestial Being can be found. According to the world, Gjallarhorn developed Gundams and fought the Mobile Armors. There's no trace of us or Aeolia Schenberg anywhere in the records we've hacked into. The only people who might know what Celestial Being is would be the 'Seven Stars' of Gjallarhorn, who are the leaders." Ms. Sumeragi said, a grave look on her face. This news came to most in the room as a powerful blow. It wasn't that the world didn't remember them, or that they forgot, but that they were completely erased from history. Not only that, but the world hadn't even improved. From the looks of things, it had gotten quite a bit worse.
Ms. Sumeragi clicked the remote once more, showing silhouettes of every Gundam frame ever produced. Some were colored in appropriately, but many were blacked out. "Lastly, as I'm sure you all know many of the Gundam Frames we entrusted to Gjallarhorn for transport are missing. We're currently sending out a locator beacon to find out where they've ended up, but it seems that most didn't remain in Gjallarhorn's possession since we've yet to see any footage of them, in use or not."
Quiet murmurs turned into something louder and more agitated. Ms. Sumeragi raised her hand, however, and the room quieted once more. "I know this is upsetting. It's like nothing we did mattered, and that's something to be angry about. However, before we can do anything, we need to learn more and repair our Gundams. Until then, we're powerless to do anything about it. For now, please just attend to your duties. Rest assured that Celestial Being will find a way to guide the world back into the light once again.
As the room emptied, Ian Vashti approached Setsuna, who remained seated, taking it all in. "Setsuna, I'd like to talk to you about your Gundams. As you know, the 00 Raiser is almost damaged beyond repair. I can fix it, but it's gonna be a long time before I get to it. Minimally damaged machines are getting first priority. Agares is in a similar state as 00. Exia, however..."
This got Setsuna's attention. Exia. His Gundam. He looked up to Ian, meeting his eyes.
"Exia's still damaged from the last fight it was in, but it's not so bad compared to most of the other machines. I could restore it to how it was before that last fight, but I've been thinking about doing something better. Just want to run it by you, since it's yours."
For the first time since waking up, Setsuna smiled.
Deep within Vingolf, Gjallarhorn's headquarters, a signal that had been sent out from Krung Thep finally reached Gjallarhorn's greatest treasure: Bael. Its slumber temporarily halted, the eyes flashed a pink crimson momentarily, receiving the locator signal and then sending back one of its own. Inside the cockpit, the main screen came on, showing a logo that had long since been buried by Gjallarhorn themselves. Then, the Gundam resumed its deep slumber. None were within the chamber that the legendary Gundam resided within, otherwise there might be cause for alarm.
However, there were multiple cameras to ensure nobody attempted to tinker with or sabotage the sleeping giant. Mostly, they were there for show. Nobody had ever been able to awaken it and the suit had to be moved into Vingolf's vault through cranes and lifts, so someone making it that far into the vault wouldn't ever be able to do much with it anyways, so the cameras largely went unmonitored.
All but one, that is. Inside a Gjallarhorn ship bound for Mars, a constant stream of the footage was being relayed through the various satellites placed between Earth and Mars directly to a tablet within McGillis Fareed's quarters, who had been watching when the signal reached Bael. At first, he wasn't sure what he saw. The video quality wasn't stellar, so he rewinded the footage and played it forward. Once. Twice. Three times.
A small, sinister smile graced his otherwise stoic face. He didn't know what had happened exactly, but he did know that not in the hundreds of hours of footage he'd watched of Bael had he ever seen this happen. It wasn't a self-maintenance routine. It wasn't someone trying to pilot Bael. It wasn't it trying to move on its own.
No, it was something else. Something related to all the things that Gjallarhorn must have buried so long ago. Fortunately for him, he was close to the very top of Gjallarhorn leadership. He was going to get all the answers he ever wanted, even if he had to dig them out of top-level archives. Even if he had to dig them out of Rustal Elion's flesh. He would find out the truth, awaken Bael himself, expose the disorder and corruption within Gjallarhorn, and lead the revolution himself. Even if he had to do it from the shadows. Even if he had to sacrifice his only friend.
Ian Vashti had a plan. A dream. A vision. Exia, but better. Faster. Stronger. Before, when Setsuna first joined Celestial Being, Exia was a tool that Setsuna used. It wasn't made specifically for him, but he was trained specifically for it, though that training never really took until it was too late in the game.
By the time Setsuna made his reappearance, he had outgrown Exia's capabilities, even without the limited repair state it was in that fateful day. Exia couldn't keep up with Setsuna, not even with Trans-Am, and soon Setsuna went on to pilot 00, removing the need for Exia to be brought up to match its Meister. Now, however, it was a different story.
While most of the other engineers were working on the colony repairs due to the 300 or so years of neglect with only Haros to keep up with extremely basic maintenance, Ian had a different task. Restoring Celestial Being's fighting power. He'd already assigned several people to assess what was needed for the other GN-Frames to be put back in working order. They were, after all, the least damaged since after the deployment of the ASW-G frames they became somewhat unnecessary.
With the information they had gathered, it appeared that GN drives had been 'forgotten', though that wasn't surprising considering the Mobile Armors were specifically designed to track down GN particles. Instead, Gjallarhorn and various other entities employed single Ahab reactor mobile suits, completely inferior to both GN and ASW-G frames, just barely ahead of where mobile suit technology was when they first started their interventions all those years ago. Having that shock and awe factor that GN frames were capable of, along with likely being an entirely unknown technology in this day and age, would be a significant factor in their favor.
After a lengthy discussion with Setsuna, along with going over footage of his most recent (relatively speaking) battles and getting an idea of what Setsuna wanted out of his machine, his partner, Ian hammered out a few designs, though they each incorporated something another did not.
One design held extra GN Condensers to increase the overall performance and output available, kind of simulating a secondary GN Drive, along with a new kind of support craft much like the GNR-010 0 Raiser to increase the arsenal available to Setsuna and Exia. He'd even mocked up a few various pieces of equipment. This, he called Exia Astéri, or the Star of Authority.
The second design incorporated something from the GNW-002 Throne Zwei; Sword Bits, or 'Fangs', as they seemed to be called. They'd already had experience with Bit technology and it wouldn't be much different in that regard. However, this design also featured a 'flight pack' that resembled wings, somewhat similar to what Bael had, where the 'Fangs' resided within and a 'shield' that could also separate into two swords, and a fold-down sword/beam pistol much like the original Exia design had. This, he called Exia Fáros, or the Beacon of Authority.
The third and final complete design was much more simple and lived closer to the 'Seven Swords' designation that Exia had. Not one, but two fold-down sword that lacked beam pistols but still also doubled as small shields, which freed up the two hand manipulators for two medium-sized GN blades similar to what Bael has. Two larger swords would be fitted to shoulder pieces that employed GN Condenser technology to increase the lethal nature of Exia, and one very large GN Buster sword that could either be deployed as the main weaponry, or attached to the back of Exia. Likewise, the newly designed GN Buster employed GN Condenser technology to mimic the gigantic beam saber that the 00 once deployed, though on a smaller scale. Additionally, this design featured several easy to reach beam daggers. This, he called Exia Fántasma, or the Ghost of Authority.
Each design featured various improvements to the frame itself, increasing mobility and performance and decreasing stress, but Ian was a man of vision. When he saw an opportunity, he took it. So, when he brought the designs to Setsuna, and Setsuna complimented various aspects of all three designs, Ian knew what he had to do. Setsuna was humble and rarely made demands of people, especially when it came to Ian, so he'd learned to figure out how to read Setsuna that allowed him to provide him with the best possible machine and equipment. He knew there was only one path ahead for him.
"Gotta stuff ten pounds of crap into a five pound bag." And so, Ian Vashti went to work on what would be his greatest piece.
Post Disaster 324
January 6th
The first time he connected to Barbatos, it was like waking a sleeping giant. It was unlike any Mobile Worker he'd ever connected to. Mobile Workers were tools. Weapons. They were all very similar, if not the exact same thanks to the Old Man's hard work keeping them running. Barbatos, however, was different. Upon initializing the connection, Barbatos spoke to him. Not literally, but not completely metaphorically either.
It was like the voice in the back of his head. Speaking to him, learning from him. Teaching him.
He didn't have much time to process the information that circulated through his head the first time. The second time, however, was different. While the Gjallarhorn Officer made his grand speech about something he didn't care about, he connected to Barbatos once more. This time, however, Mika had time to appreciate the feeling. The knowledge. The voice.
It was like there were two different people within that cockpit, yet Mika was alone. The connection between them was stronger than the first time. The three links that connected him to Barbatos surged with raw energy. Power. He could feel his mind expanding beyond its previous limits, making him think quicker and react faster.
While connected, he ceased to be Mikazuki Augus. Instead, he became something more.
A strange face popped into his mind momentarily. A man with blonde hair and a scar on his face? He didn't get a good look, as the image dissipated as the desire the need to fight arose within him. The Ahab reactor within spooled up and the thrusters began taking in air. The frame itself loosened up and the air around him, around Barbatos, started vibrating. The thrusters fired an initial burst, clearing out the dust and debris stuck in the vents to ensure a smooth operation, throwing dust and smoke around his crouched form.
"We're counting on you, Mika!" Orga Itsuka said. Mikazuki nodded silently within the cockpit of Barbatos in affirmation. He had to win, because Orga, Atra, Kudelia, and the others were counting on him. They all needed him to win, so he would.
Six hours later..
Just days after the last Celestial Being member and operative, Setsuna F. Seiei came out of Cryosleep, several alarms sounded around the colony. After making their way to the briefing room, Sumeragi Lee Noriega began going over the cause for alarm. On a large screen within the room, footage from a shaky camera, clearly mounted to a mobile suit, began playing. Its opponent was shocking to everyone there who hadn't already seen the footage.
"Is that.. Barbatos?!" Setsuna exclaimed, a rare look of surprise on his face. Celestial Being's tactical forecaster nodded.
"It is. Much of its armor and weaponry is gone, but it's definitely Barbatos. Somehow it came into the hands of these people," She paused, bringing up images of various mercenary-looking people. "Chryse Guard Security, or CGS for short. They're a PMC operating in the Chryse region of Mars, but that's not all,"
She switched to a different image, one clearly taken from much further away, but of Barbatos again. The cockpit was open, and a small, young boy was stepping out of it. On his back looked to be three somewhat grotesque protrusions sticking out. "They employed dozens of child soldiers, and somehow this boy was able to pilot Barbatos. Apparently, he and many others have that bastardized version of Alaya-Vijnana. 'Whiskers', and this boy has three of them. It has to be how he's able to pilot Barbatos."
Setsuna could feel his blood boiling. He was a child soldier. He knew that life. Around him, his fellow Meisters were also perturbed. Especially Allelujah and Marie. Then, Allelujah caught what Ms. Sumeragi was saying. "Wait, you said 'employed' as in past-tense. What happened to the children?"
She switched the screen off, having no more images to show. "Actually, the word is the children killed a large portion of the adults within CGS and have re-branded as a group called 'Tekkadan'. They've drawn the attention of Gjallarhorn now that they've bested them not once, but twice. In addition, they've apparently accepted the job of escorting Kudelia Aina Bernstein to Earth to gain independence for Mars among other liberties they've been stripped of since Gjallarhorn started running things."
Sumeragi turned to face the Meisters, a grave look on her face. "Sooner or later, we'll need to do something. Our mission has gone from success to failure time and time again. Now, we've been given another chance, but the odds are once again stacked against us."
"At first, much like I'm sure you all felt, my first instinct was to retrieve Barbatos. We still don't know what happened to Graham and Gjallarhorn for this to all occur, but we all know that Gundams belong to Celestial Being. However.." She turned, turning the screen back on to the image of the boy stepping out of Barbatos's cockpit.
"I can't say I want to fight children. In fact, I'm largely against it. They have Barbatos, but like Katharon, they have understandable motives, and their feud is against Gjallarhorn, same as us. We laid the foundations of what Gjallarhorn has become, whether intentionally or not. If we target these children, if we target Tekkadan, we'll be no better than they are. Indiscriminate armed interventions are no longer an option if we want to stay true to who we are and not just what we are."
The Meisters nodded. They'd come too far from how they each started out to be at a point where they could conduct armed interventions against children. Setsuna stepped forward.
"Gjallarhorn has been determined for promoting war, conflict, and suffering. They are the cause of how things are now. It's our duty to correct this." He said vehemently. Not only did he not wish to fight children, he knew that things had progressed past the ability to act impartially.
One by one, each Meister walked forward in a sign of solidarity with Setsuna's decision. They'd already been through so much, but they couldn't just sit back and watch as something they had a hand in creating twisted the world to suit Gjallarhorn's whims.
It was time to get back to work.
Gjallarhorn Top-Level Archives, Entry #01637-CB
Following the final battle against the Mobile Armors, the paramilitary 'Peacekeeping Organization' Celestial Being returned to space. Several Gjallarhorn operatives were entrusted to oversee the transport of various Gundam and non-Gundam frame Mobile Suits to a designated location at a specific time for pick-up.
Celestial Being had decided that Gjallarhorn had earned enough trust to keep the Valkyrja frames they had used to help ensure peace remained after the defeat of the Mobile Armors but demanded the return of all other Celestial Being property. The overseer of Gjallarhorn and 'Gundam Meister' of Celestial Being, Graham Aker, assured that he would see it done.
Upon reaching the location at the proper time, Celestial Being was a no-show. Being a new member of Celestial Being, Graham Aker had limited options in contacting them. After waiting several days and attempting several methods of contact, it was decided to take the various Mobile Suits into safekeeping with the intent of returning them to Celestial Being should they ever return.
Chapter Text
The Devil's Legacy
Chapter II
"You people down there, are you satisfied with the way the world is? As for me.. I hate it."
Post Disaster 324
February 4th
In the conference room of the Krung Thep space colony, another meeting had been called. New footage of Barbatos fighting had been copied from Gjallarhorn's database. All Celestial Being operatives were present. Reviewing the footage, it was clear that the boy piloting Barbatos hadn't fought in space before, nor was Barbatos properly calibrated for zero-g combat.
"I'll give the kid credit, he's good. Reckless, but good." Lockon commented.
Tieria Erde rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Putting aside the recklessness of his comrade's actions with that asteroid, he was outnumbered, outgunned, and didn't take any measures to make combat in space easier. Reckless doesn't cover it."
"He's a kid. Younger than Setsuna when he first started piloting Exia. The fact that he's even able to pilot it without dying is an accomplishment." Allelujah countered.
"Either way, he's survived another fight with Gjallarhorn. They're on their way to Earth, according to Gjallarhorn's logs. However.." Ms. Sumeragi paused, changing the footage to one of their own feeds. It showed a similar looking ship to Tekkadan's, but with a large, bulbous front that seemed to act as a shield or ram following Tekkadan's ship just out of range of where their sensors could detect. "They're being followed, but not by Gjallarhorn yet. This ship seems to belong to a huge crime syndicate. Teiwaz."
The screen changed once again, outlining Teiwaz's power structure. "The ship specifically belongs to the Turbines, a subsidiary of Teiwaz. They're a bit more of a grey organization, taking both legitimate and illegitimate jobs. Also, it is comprised of almost entirely women and headed by one man. Naze Turbine."
Lockon whistled. "Either he's a true philanthropist or that's a harem of the highest degree. Maybe both."
Ms. Sumeragi nodded. "According to all the records we could get our hands on, every single member of his crew are his 'wives'. We don't know any other specifics about the Turbines. Teiwaz is more careful with their information than Gjallarhorn."
The screen clicked off. "As you all know, we've sent Fereshte to observe. Their equipment was less beat-up than our own, but they've been ordered to only use ASW-G-16 Zepar should they need to sortie unless they're at risk of losing it or Barbatos. Zepar's been minimally outfitted to avoid suspicion. If it gets out that we can fully outfit a Gundam with how expensive and old they are, Gjallarhorn is going to get more interested than we want at this point." Ms. Sumeragi stated.
Each member of Celestial Being knew the stakes. They'd been down this road before. Reveal equipment vastly superior and the other side will start improving their own. Even if they can never match performance, if they have vastly superior numbers and resources it doesn't matter. They needed to be careful.
Ms. Sumeragi ceded the floor to Ian Vashti, allowing him to bring them up to speed on the status of the repairs that needed to be made to both the colony and the Gundams. "Luckily for us, the morale of the workers here at Krung Thep is higher than expected. They didn't really know anyone outside of the colony, so coming out of cryo after 300 years wasn't as big of a deal as it could have been. Repairs are coming along pretty quickly as a result. We've focused on the GN Frames because they're an unknown and that makes them more valuable if we're attacked out of the blue." He paused, bringing up a live-feed of the Gundam hanger.
"Kyrios, Dynames, Astraea F2, and Raisel/Sefer went with Fereshte along with Zepar. Cherudim, Arios, and Saravee are all ready to sortie. Harute and Virtue are close to being ready. Arche Drei is a wreck that is only good for parts at this point. Exia is about 70% done. Everything else either hasn't been touched or is on the back-burner, including the ASW-G Frames." As Ian spoke the video panned across various Gundams, some of them actively under repair. Many of them still bore the scars of the war that, in their frame of reference, they just got done fighting.
"As for the colony itself, we've repaired the major issues. Our cloaking system is working as intended. But, we're operating on borrowed time. Without new shipments of materials, food, or water, we'll run out within a year if we don't sortie. If we do, each time we're rolling the dice on how much time we lose."
Just as Ian was finishing up his explanation, Feldt Grace hurriedly entered the room, causing the occupants to turn to her. "Fereshte has reported in stating that Tekkadan is fighting with the Turbines. They say it's not looking good and are requesting to sortie." She said, partly out of breath.
Ms. Sumeragi shook her head. "It's too soon. We still don't have enough information."
"If they don't, we risk losing Barbatos!" Tieria Erde stated. Though he'd gotten closer to understanding what it was to be human, he was still an Innovade and felt responsible for protecting the Gundams.
Surprisingly, Celestial Being's tactical forecaster agreed. "I know, but we can't send out Zepar. Not yet. Feldt, have Fereshte set up a live feed of the battle and to send over all relevant data they have."
McGillis Fareed was grinning like a madman. First there was the strange occcurance with Bael, and now a group of child soldiers, protecting a woman fighting for independence, were using another Gundam Frame?
It was fate. It had to be. Perhaps, somehow, Bael detected the activation of Barbatos? Or was it unrelated? He didn't know, and until he moved up in rank he would continue being in the dark about all this. Without access to the sealed Top-Level Archives, he didn't have any leads to follow unless Barbatos was somehow related to what happened with Bael.
As it was, it was the only lead he could follow, and it lined up perfectly with his duties for a change. No need to 'take a vacation' and go incognito as Mr. Montag. Not yet. Besides, it was important now for him to work on his public image to gain support for the future, especially with his new promotion awaiting him back on Earth. One step closer to his dream.
The pilot of Barbatos – that boy – had already become a piece in the game he was playing. He just hadn't determined if that piece would be an ally or enemy nor how disposable he was. The Alaya-Vijnana that were used by those who employed child soldiers was a cheap, bastardized version of what came before. That much he knew. To be able to pilot Barbatos, a 300 year old Gundam Frame, with the modern Alaya-Vijnana implants was a miracle of its own. His three 'whiskers' must have contributed to that. The surgery was dangerous and held compounded risk for each successive surgery, but he was able to withstand it three times. That meant, if nothing else, he was strong both physically and mentally. If he became an enemy, he would be problematic to deal with.
Barbatos felt strange. It was as if the machine was distracted by something. The joints felt stressed and the thrusters were less responsive than they usually were. The old man had said the reactor hadn't been fine-tuned yet, but this seemed like something else entirely, and this fight hadn't been helping that situation. But, Orga was counting on him. Everyone was counting on him.
"Mr. Augus, another Mobile Suit has begun attacking the Isaribi. Anti-aircraft artillery can't stop it."
"Another one?" Mikazuki questioned. He found being called 'Mr. Augus' strange, but they had another enemy to face and he couldn't risk any unnecessary to the Isaribi.
"Don't look away!" Came another voice on an open channel.
"Mikazuki!" Akihiro warned, dragging Barbatos, dragging him out of the line of fire that had come his way in his moment of distraction.
Getting his head in the game, Mikazuki focused. There was an enemy attacking the Isaribi and only Barbatos was fast enough to get back to deal with it. That meant there was no other choice but to trust Akihiro. Not that he didn't already trust him. He just didn't like putting him in that situation.
"Sorry, Akihiro. Can you take the two in front of us?"
There was a short pause before a reply came over the radio. "Yeah, you bet."
"I'll be right back." He promised. Correcting his rotation, he spun Barbatos, himself, around and started to speed back towards the Isaribi.
"Leaving your friend out in the cold?" Came that voice again in the open channel, followed almost immediately by a grunt of surprise before the transmission cut out. Mikazuki smiled. The only person who ever got close to beating him in the melees they'd run for CGS was Akihiro, and just because he couldn't beat him didn't mean he couldn't stall those two until he got back.
On his way back, even as far away as he was, he could see the moving light from the Mobile Suit's thrusters running circles around the Isaribi. It was fast. Faster than him. But it wasn't just fast, it was agile as well. Not as agile as Barbatos, as he was, but enough to compound the problem. He realized he wouldn't be getting back to Akihiro as soon as he thought he would.
Either way, he'd need to get its attention first. He fired and having a feeling that the pilot would be able to dodge the first shot, swung around and fired again. It dodged both shots, but the pilot clearly knew he was there now.
"How dare you mess with our ship," He said over the open channel before firing again. He didn't think he had any chance of landing any shots at range, but it put him as a priority to deal with over the Isaribi.
"You're so cheeky." Came the reply. Another girl. Younger than the other one from the sound of her voice. Just how many of the Turbines were women?
Mikazuki narrowly dodged two shots that came at him after the side-mounted guns rotated backwards, towards him. That distracted him long enough for it to swing around and go past him in the direction he just came from at an incredible speed.
"Damn it, it's fast." He commented. He was at a disadvantage in almost every regard. She was faster than him, obviously had more experience piloting a Mobile Suit than him especially in open space, and Barbatos was still acting strange. The only thing he had working in his favor in that moment was his willingness and ability to take any punishment she could dish out.
Not giving him a chance to breathe, the Mobile Suit swung back around and accelerated towards him while firing. "My propulsion power is stronger!"
Two shots landed before he could turn around, decimating the small amount Nanolaminate armor Barbatos had on the back of its legs, exploding into a mix of fragments and purple smoke. The other Mobile Suit accelerated past him before arcing back towards him, firing several more times, one of which hit the left shoulder. His left shoulder. "You're too slow!"
"Damn it, this is endless." Mikazuki said, dodging several more shots.
She was right. He was too slow. As she circled him and fired shots that occasionally hit, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with her speed. It would become death by a thousand cuts if he wasn't smart about this. However, he wasn't the best pilot within CGS or Tekkadan because he was fast. He was the best because he could think on his feet, stay calm in battle, and when it came time for it, to do what nobody else would think of.
Two more shots hit him, exploding more fragmented Nanolaminate armor and purple smoke. This time, however, it wasn't without reciprocation.
"There!"
He raised Barbatos's left arm, his left arm, and fired the Wire Claw that he'd taken from that Gali-Gali guy back above Mars. It dug deep into the other Mobile Suit, effectively leashing it to him.
"This is nothing!" Came the voice of the pilot. She accelerated and swung around violently like a bucking horse, trying to shake him loose. It was at that moment Mikazuki became aware that the inertial dampeners weren't working, as he was being subjected to g-forces that would make any normal person pass out in an instant. He wasn't normal, so instead he just groaned in protest to what his body was being subjected to.
He raised his smoothbore rifle and fired again. With him being towed around, he actually had a better chance of hitting than he did before.
"Your inertial control isn't working, right? You'll suffer if you don't let go."
Of course she'd picked up on that. For a moment all he could do was stay conscious, so he wasn't able to fight back in that moment and was just dragged along. If she didn't pick up on that, she wouldn't have been a very good pilot. But she did, and she was.
"If I let go, you'll go sink the Isaribi."
"But that's what a battle is for."
Mikazuki grit his teeth. "You won't get in Orga's way."
"You're the one that's in the way!" Came the reply before she accelerated harder, going into a small cluster of asteroids and wrapping the wire they were attached by around one. He realized her plan. If he didn't need to brace himself for the impact, he might've smiled. She was good. A better pilot than him. But she didn't have as much patience as him. She didn't think her plan through nearly enough.
Just before he and Barbatos impacted the asteroid with a force that would've at the very least caused considerable damage, in the corner of his eye he saw some kind of glimmering, pink light. Then, the impact came and his smoothbore rifle exploded, cutting the line of sight between the two.
"Good bye, little boy. It was fun."
What she forgot about when making this plan was his mace. A perfect anchor to tether him to the asteroid, and her to him. Her propulsion power and speed ceased to matter if she was tethered to an object that had more mass than she could move.
"I finally got you." He whispered, yanking the wire, sending her flying back towards the asteroid. She had more speed, but Barbatos has more strength than any Mobile Suit they've come across, and hers was no exception. She impacted the asteroid next to him at almost as much force as he did when she was towing him into it in the first place. He dislodged his mace from the rocky surface and prepared to strike.
"It's time for you to disappear." Mikazuki said. He didn't know if he was still broadcasting or not. He didn't care.
"Don't underestimate me!" Came the reply. Two arms dislodged from the elongated back, surprising Mikazuki. However, they were unable to fully deploy since the wire had tangled around the frame, preventing them from extending far enough to do anything but throw him off-balance. The mace, being used as a spear, slid along to one side of her Mobile Suit, gouging out one of the arms and making it inoperable.
"You're a sore loser." He said. He knew that if this went on, he'd win. She was one arm down, still tethered to him, and she didn't have any close-range weapons. Her small-caliber guns wouldn't be a problem to deal with this close, either.
"You, too. Girls hate pressing boys, you know."
"Then let's end this." He said, no remorse or mercy in his voice. If she wanted to die, he'd help her.
"That's enough, Mika! It's been settled." Mikazuki heard Orga's voice say. Almost immediately, another voice was heard over the same open channel.
"Sorry for the trouble, Amida. Come back. I've decided to hear their story."
Mikazuki breathed a sigh of relief. If this battle had gone on longer, they might've been in trouble. The other two were probably good pilots, too. With Barbatos so banged up, it might've been a close call. He turned his attention to the direction in which he was the pink light, but nothing was there. Was it just his imagination?
What definitely wasn't his imagination was the fact that Barbatos's joints felt better than they did when the battle started despite the punishment they had been put through. He hadn't made many on-the-fly adjustments during the battle, so he wasn't sure what had relieved the strange stress that he was feeling before.
"In the end, Leo aborted Dynames's long-range firing sequence after we picked up a cease-fire order from the leaders of both Tekkadan and Teiwaz. Nobody seemed to notice our presence and we were far outside sensor range for them to detect us even if their sensors can ignore GN particles."
"Thank you, Chall. Report back on any major updates and continue monitoring their communications."
The screen clicked off and Ms. Sumeragi felt the tension release from her body. They had come dangerously close to doing something that could reveal their existence to the world well before they were ready.
She took a moment to forward the report to the others before grabbing one of the last few bottles of scotch she had stashed away over 300 years ago. For just a moment she wondered what it might go for if she put it up for sale before opening the seal and pouring herself a glass. She raised a silent toast to Billy Katagiri who had given his life preparing a series of test Mobile Suits for an ambush against a Mobile Armor in the early days of the war.
Post Disaster 324
February 21st
Although Krung Thep was primarily a manufacturing colony, it wasn't without luxuries. It had three different parks that emulated being back on Earth. Green grass, tall trees, clear ponds, and simulated blue skies. In one of these parks, Setsuna, Feldt, and Nena sat together on a blanket with a basket of food in the middle.
Celestial Being afforded few chances to find love when their work was constantly getting in the way of that, so it was largely encouraged by others within the group to hang onto whatever love they might find regardless of what the nature of it was. Though the relationship between the three was complex at best, there was no mistaking that they loved each other and didn't get many chances to just live together.
"This is nice. We don't get to do something like this often." Feldt commented, breaking the contented silence.
Nena nodded her head in agreement. "We don't. I just wish.. I wish the others could be here. I don't think they ever got to see this place."
She wasn't talking about the other living Gundam Meisters. She was talking about Saji, and Graham, and Neil, and everyone else who didn't make it through the war. Wars.
Setsuna didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. They both knew that Celestial Being was the only family he had. That was something that the three of them had in common. Each death hit them hard. Each memory was of a time they didn't think things through well enough, didn't fight hard enough, or didn't make it in time. The good memories were easy to overlook when looking back at the reasons they died. The silver lining was that none of them knew what happened to Graham after the colony went into lockdown and they were forced to go into cryostasis. They still hadn't found any record of what happened to him or the other original members of Gjallarhorn.
Barbatos had been given some heavy maintenance by Teiwaz's engineers, bringing it closer to the original setup that was documented over 300 years ago. They'd improved the weight balance, changed out worn-down parts, and the two Ahab Reactors were given an overhaul to improve the output and performance. That's why Mikazuki could tell that during their first encounter with the Brewers, Barbatos was in a good mood. Gone was the strange strain and seemingly lower reaction times. It didn't feel like it was distracted.
Unfortunately, that didn't last. The moment he connected to Barbatos before they were about to lure the Brewers into a trap, he could tell something was wrong. It felt just like it did before Teiwaz got their hands on Barbatos. Fortunately, after training in the simulators with Lafter, Azee, and Akihiro, he was a better pilot now, and strain or not, Barbatos was still Barbatos. Fighting is what he – what they – did best.
With the enemy's ships disabled, there was less to worry about. However, Akihiro had something he needed to do and both Azee and Lafter were helping him with that. That left him and Amida to deal with the rest.
Unfortunately, 'the rest' constituted a sizeable force, and they all had Alaya-Vijnana implants like him. The big Mobile Suit he was tasked with taking out was a lot more powerful than the other, smaller ones. Like the others, the pilot clearly had Alaya-Vijnana implants as well. However, what made him difficult to deal with was his armor. He could fly circles around him, but his sword couldn't cut deep enough to do any real damage.
He didn't know how to use a sword effectively, but it was the only weapon he had left and, unlike Barbatos, which by design was meant more for ground combat, his opponent's Mobile Suit was faster, if much less agile, than his. The others kept getting in his way just long enough for him to become a problem for someone else.
"Wait, what is that?! Another Mobile Suit?" Came Lafter's voice over the radio.
Then, something happened. Every joint in Barbatos seized as his proximity alert went off. The monitor enlarged, showing an extremely fast Mobile Suit heading right towards the others, and it was far enough away that it wasn't clearly defined. Did they have another card to play?
No. As it got closer to the battlefield, it became more defined on the monitor. It wasn't just a Mobile Suit. It was a Gundam. It had a minimal amount of armor, but the armor that it did have was pristine. The only weapon it carried was a sword. An image flashed in his mind of that very same Gundam, but it was painted and outfitted differently. Then, another image of it fighting some giant, blurry machine. Then another, and another.
He'd never seen this Gundam in his life. The only Gundam he ever saw was Barbatos. But.. he'd never seen it before, but it was a Gundam, and all Gundams were involved in the Calamity War according to Teiwaz's resident engineer. Had Barbatos seen this Gundam before? Did it fight together against whatever that machine was? Was Barbatos showing him these images?
Another image, this time of a man. The man he saw before when he connected to Barbatos the second time with blonde hair and a scar on his face. Who was he? What was happening? The image faded and the other Gundam struck. The sword it had was much like the one he had, and it used that sword to slice through the joints and gaps in the armor, tearing into the Brewers' Mobile Suits like a hot knife through butter. It was like there wasn't any resistance cutting through the metal frames of the Mobile Suits, using minimal effort to deliver debilitating strikes.
"What the hell is that?! Gjallarhorn didn't say anything about two Gundams!" Came another voice. The pilot of the Mobile Suit he was supposed to be dealing with. Yet, Mikazuki was too awestruck by this new arrival's actions to do anything but stare.
The entire event felt like he watched it in slow motion, but in reality, it only lasted a few moments before the rogue Gundam disappeared into the debris field and didn't return. Those few moments, however, turned the tide of battle for them significantly, and it was able to do it without killing a single pilot or completely destroying their Mobile Suit.
"Who was that? Someone from the Teiwaz?"
"No, nobody else in Teiwaz has a Gundam Frame. You don't know who that was?"
"No."
He understood, then, how to use the sword in the hands of Barbatos. In his hands. It was like he absorbed the knowledge of that scene to use as his own. He just knew. It became instinct instantly. Then, the battle with the big Mobile Suit was back on. However, he was still more agile than it, and that's more important when fighting with a sword. Agility and precise strikes. Not the brutality that the mace called for.
'I'm getting the hang of using this.'
As he made his strikes, the other pilot's voice cried out in frustration over the open channel. Yet..
'What? That's strange. What is this feeling? Why do I feel this way?'
He struck again, and again, each strike dealing real damage to his opponent's Mobile Suit.
"Don't mess with me! You're enjoying this, aren't you?! The killing of men!"
Huh?
"For goodness sake, just die! Die! Why won't you just die?!"
'I'm enjoying this?' He thought, preparing his final strike.
Maybe. Maybe he was.
"Well, whatever. It's good if this one dies anyways."
Then, he struck, stabbing the tip of his sword down the front of the other Mobile Suit where there wasn't any armor protecting the area between the chest and the head, killing the pilot and destroying the cockpit in the process. This way, they could recover the Mobile Suit without having to do very many major repairs. It had the Alaya-Vijnana system. Maybe Akihiro could use it instead and have Shino or someone use the Graze?
It was done. Exia had been transformed from a 3rd generation Gundam into a true 5th generation Gundam. It had taken the data from the Avalanche retrofit of Exia, 00, Bael, and the original Exia design to piece together what was without a doubt one of the greatest Mobile Suits Celestial Being has ever made. The armor protecting the internals of the frame was similar to what was there before, only now it looked more streamlined and efficient. However, the armor was the least important change made.
Two medium-sized, high performance GN Condensers were mounted to the shoulders, similar to the Avalanche retrofit but smaller in size. Two small GN condensers also mounted to the sides and back of the knee joints in such a way that still allowed for a full range of motion. These four extra GN Condensers combined with Exia's GN Drive allowed the new Exia to surpass the 00 Raiser's base performance by huge margins.
Additionally, a 'flight pack' was designed for the new Exia to allow for more agile in-atmosphere flight and an additional array of weaponry. It was similar in looks to Bael's flight pack, but the applications of it were completely different. Within the 'wings' were four Sword Bits that were controlled by the Bit Control System within Exia, operable only by someone who could use Quantum Brainwaves. Two of these Sword Bits were similarly sized and shaped as a sword, and the other two, which mounted to the longer pieces at the end, were GN Particle Sword Bits, or 'fangs' that were more agile than the larger Bits. Up to six of each kind of Bit could be installed into the flight pack, but only two of each could be made with their limited materials in mind.
Exia's armaments were also updated. Two GN Buster Sword Kai were produced to be able to be mounted to the GN Condensers on Exia's shoulders. This allowed them to be coated with GN Particles before striking, theoretically allowing them to become an analogue to the gigantic beam saber Setsuna used with the 00 all those years ago fighting the A-Laws. While mounted, they absorbed stray GN Particles discharged from the Condensers that increased their cutting power simply by being there.
A shield was designed for Exia as well, one that could be mounted to either arm. It starts off large, but two GN Battle Blades that are attached to the shield are able to be removed and used in combat on-the-fly. These swords have their own 'Rifle Mode' that can be used to engage targets at medium to long range and are capable of being fitted with Bit technology after Celestial Being acquires more materials.
The hand manipulators were also changed to be more claw-like, similar to the majority of ASW-G Frames, which prove to be valuable in desperate times. Finally, Exia's primary weapon was completely redesigned. Its folding GN Sword that doubled as a pistol and buckler shield had been improved in design while retaining the quickness of the original's folding speed. Newer materials were used to ensure it cut quicker and cleaner than the other two as well.
There were other designs Ian had been mocking up, but those could wait. Exia was finished.
No. Exia Sṓzō was finished. The Savior of Authority. Setsuna's partner.
Ian walked over to a terminal and dialed a number.
"Setsuna? It's done."
Gjallarhorn Top-Level Archives, Entry #02022-CB
After the restructuring of Gjallarhorn in 76PD, all public information relating to Celestial Being was slowly scrubbed from all information sources and all relevant documents were seized under the authority of local governments and immediately disposed of.
Following this, all citations regarding the Calamity War and the Anno Domini era were changed to reference only Gjallarhorn as the reason for the war ending to retain public support. Several of those within Gjallarhorn who were still aware of Celestial Being were given 'Noble' status, a Gundam Frame as a symbol of such, and sworn to secrecy.
Aside from Bael, which was kept as Gjallarhorn's own symbol of power, Dantalion, Amy, Kimaris, Andras, Sitri, Marax, Asmoday, Halphas, Gremory, Astaroth, Vual, and the majority of Valkyrja Frame Mobile Suits were distributed to parties that the upper leadership of Gjallarhorn deemed deserving. Some were thought to be stolen from secure facilities or in-transit, but the upper leadership has denied all allegations of such events occurring.
Chapter Text
The Devil's Legacy
Chapter III
"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding"
Post Disaster 324
March 25th
Just over a month after defeating the Brewers, Tekkadan finally had the Dort Colony cluster within their sight. More importantly, they could see Earth. Their final destination. The Isaribi was abuzz with activity as the ship approached the Dort 3 docking bay. Various members of Tekkadan ran about trying to quickly finish their duties in time to see what life on a colony so close to Earth was like.
Among those eager to finish their work, Shino and Yamagi tirelessly worked to make the Brewer's commandeered Mobile Suits compatible with the Alaya-Vijnana system. So far, progress was slow. Each time a test was needed to see if it was hooked up properly, Shino would experience varying amounts of pain depending on how many things weren't connected in the correct fashion. This trial-and-error style of work was dangerous when working with Alaya-Vijnana systems, as it could easily lead to crippling damage if they weren't careful.
However, Shino and Yamagi weren't the only ones hard at work. Mikazuki, ever since finishing the fight with the Brewers, had been training every single day. He didn't want to forget what it was like to properly use the sword Barbatos had, nor did he want to be put in a position where he was an inadequate pilot for the task at hand. He wanted to be better. He wanted to pilot Barbatos, to fight with Barbatos on the same level as the visions he had been seeing.
Visions that he had continued to withhold from the others. He didn't need them to worry about him when he was their 'ace' pilot, as Lafter had called him. Thanks to all the training, though, he had outgrown his training partners. Azee, Amida, and Lafter together barely managed to keep him in check, and while Akihiro valiantly fought to keep up with him, he was also at the disadvantage of having a new Mobile Suit to learn how to pilot in his down time.
The star of the Brewer's long list of Mobile Suits, the very same one that Mikazuki and fought, ended up being a Gundam. It was certainly a strange coincidence if not completely poetic in an almost morbid sort of way. Akihiro had been chosen as its pilot, and after stripping the completely and utterly excessive armor away, the ASW-G-11 Gundam Gusion was in surprisingly good condition. They were in the process of retrofitting it to Akihiro's tastes, which was easier with all the spare parts they had acquired from the Brewers along with what the Turbines were willing to part with.
There was still no word on the mysterious third Gundam they had seen. Teiwaz as a whole denied any involvement, and according to Naze, they were telling the truth. Gundams were almost comically rare things that were usually thought of as museum pieces or something kept by the ultra-rich in a collection. But the one they had seen was no museum piece. It was outfitted perfectly for what it had accomplished, which spoke volumes of both the owner as well as the pilot. Yet, there hadn't been any more signs of the rogue Gundam.
Post Disaster 324
March 29
Setsuna smiled. He had finally gotten the chance to pilot Exia again, and now, in the new and improved state it was win, he understood the true depth of Ian's talents. Exia had been reborn into a Gundam that could truly keep pace with him and his quantum brainwaves. Exia Sṓzō was the perfect partner for him, and the additional outfitting Ian had made only made it better.
The new Exia could outperform the 00 Raiser in almost every conceivable way. On its own, it was stronger, faster, and more agile of a machine. Thanks to the four GN Condensers, the output in both regular operation and during Trans-Am was nearly double that of the 00's and, also thanks to the GN Condensers and the way they were installed, the diminished output after exiting Trans-Am wasn't nearly as bad.
Additionally, the flight pack and Bit technology made Exia equally deadly at both close and long range both in-atmosphere and in the vacuum of space. After several hours of test flight in an abandoned debris field, Setsuna was completely confident in the new Exia.
A sad thought about how he'd never get the chance to spar with Graham using the new Exia crossed Setsuna's mind. He would've been the perfect training partner. But, he wasn't there. They hadn't figured out what had happened to him, though Ms. Sumeragi had promised to keep searching for answers.
Sumeragi Lee Noriega looked at the compiled information on her tablet screen. They'd sent out pings to locate the missing Gundam units, but there were worryingly few responses. After pinpointing their locations, they did background research on those who had possession of the Gundam Frames.
Astaroth and Vual seemed to be in the hands of some kind of mafia that was smaller and less known than Teiwaz. Astaroth was in the possession of what seemed to be pirates and was in surprisingly good condition, though its Battle Anchor was still broken from its last battle against a Mobile Armor during the war. Marchosias was highly shielded, but a little digging revealed that it was in the hands of what seemed to be a disgraced Gjallarhorn nobleman.
Marax, Andras, Dantalion, Kimaris and Halphas were all in the hands of Gjallarhorn nobility that had remained in the good graces of the upper echelon of the corrupt organization, while Bael remained within the depths of their headquarters on Earth.
Eventually, they'd take back every single Gundam Frame that had gone missing, but getting to them would be difficult unless it was on a battlefield. If their enemies tried to use their Gundams against them, they'd be in for a rude awakening when the Trial System was activated, which was buried so deeply into each of the Gundam's programming that removing or altering it without Celestial Being's help would render the Gundam inoperable anyways.
Getting to the Gundams when the vast majority were under lock-and-key meant they'd either need to infiltrate or they'd need to do a hard-knock to take back what was theirs. Infiltration was dangerous for obvious reasons, as there was no guarantee that the Gundams would be in operational condition. So, that really only left the most violent approach. That, or threats. If their first intervention went well enough, threat alone might get a few people to surrender their property.
Their first intervention was key. For it to be as effective as possible, they had to ensure as many people saw it as possible. If they chose the wrong place or wrong time, Gjallarhorn's absolute control over the media and narrative wouldn't do them any favors. Gjallarhorn, it seemed, had a record of distorting the truth when it didn't suit their needs.
That was why not only Setsuna, but all of Celestial Being's Gundam Meisters were testing our their Gundams. After Ian and the engineering team's herculean efforts, they'd managed to get not only Exia, but Cherudim, Arios, Archer, Virtue, and even the Arche Drei Gundams all battle-ready. While Fereshte was still short of operational Gundams, the engineering crew was still hard at work. For the time being, they'd have to make do with what they had. Their latest after-action report stated they'd temporarily intervened in the battle between Tekkadan and the Brewers, but since they used ASW-G-16 Zepar and kept it short for the sake of preserving both Barbatos and Gusion, it was a good call.
Now, their support unit was several kilometers outside of the Dort colonies, continuing to monitor Tekkadan and their actions. They had detected several encrypted radio transmissions coming from the colony cluster speaking of a 'revolution'. The general consensus was that, so soon after Tekkadan's arrival, there was little room to be a coincidence. Their charge, the Bernstein girl, didn't seem to be involved, but since she, too, was a revolutionary of sorts it was a safe assumption that sooner or later she'd be dragged into whatever was nearing the boiling point.
McGillis Fareed was digging through all the Gjallarhorn archives he had access to when, for the seventh time that day, he found a reference to someone or something he didn't understand. 'C.B' showed up again and again when talking about the Gundams but there was never any explanation for who or what they were. Furthermore, any attempt at searching for 'C.B' was met with zero results, when he clearly saw the initials in the reports he had dug up.
Most of the reports had to do with the Gundams, or more specifically, the operational limits of them. The lead scientists and engineers of Gjallarhorn when these reports were filed didn't seem to understand how exactly the Gundams worked, despite the evidence saying they made the Gundams. McGillis grit his teeth in frustration. It wasn't the first set of initials that he hadn't been able to suss out, either. Both 'C.B' and 'G.A' were initials that led to nowhere. If there was any report that went into detail on who or what they were, it was either completely buried or locked behind the Top-Level clearance archives. His own clearance level was several steps below what would be required to gain access to such files.
Somehow, it all had to be connected. That's what his gut told him. Gjallarhorn, Tekkadan, the strange occurrence with Bael, and now 'C.B' and 'G.A'. It all had to be connected, and he was out of cards to play to unravel the mystery. Soon enough, he'd be heading to the Dort colonies, but he couldn't simply put something like this on the backburner until he got one step closer to his goal.
No. Continuing on like nothing was going on behind the scenes wouldn't be wise. He already had many people more loyal to him than to Gjallarhorn itself, but none of them were in a position he could be frank with. He was their commander, not their friend. He wasn't anyone's friend.
Except for one person. One person that, prior to these events, he was willing to sacrifice if it came to it. Now, however.. He questioned whether that would be the best thing to do. Could Gaelio be trusted? Would he be willing to help him, or at least look the other way? If the answer was no, and he told him about his plans, the results would be predictable. Gaelio would expose him and he'd be thrown in jail. McGillis had no intention of being incarcerated.
But, if he could be trusted, and if he would be willing to help.. That would make things easier. He wouldn't have to rely on establishing a working relationship with Tekkadan. Gaelio commanded the same amount, if not more respect among the common man within Gjallarhorn. Gaelio's influence would even draw more people to their side, and it might help avoid a battle with the Outer Earth Orbit fleet. That would bring the corrupt part of Gjallarhorn's fighting power down to half. An even fight. Better, if they managed to sway Tekkadan.
It was a big gamble. Perhaps the biggest one he'd ever make.
McGillis turned to the intercom. "Gaelio, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
Post Disaster 324
April 6th
The situation on the Dort colonies had reached its boiling point. Protests that had started out peacefully grew into a disorganized mass of angry, armed people that were being cheered on by agitators and militant revolutionaries. Gjallarhorn's provocations only making the situation worse, the first shot had been fired.
Mikazuki had been too late to reach Kudelia before her maid, Fumitan, had been shot. He didn't entirely understand the situation, but from what he did understand was that Fumitan had offered Kudelia up to Gjallarhorn. However, she then got in the way of what had appeared to be a sniper shot. She was bleeding quickly, and the injury was close to her spine.
Kudelia was incoherent at best, and the smoke around them continued to dissipate, revealing dozens of bodies from Gjallarhorn's firing squad. It was a miracle neither of them were hit in that initial burst. Mikazuki pulled at Kudelia, trying to get her to come with him, but she refused to leave Fumitan behind.
"We can't go without Fumitan. Fumitan, you're coming with us, right?"
Mikazuki looked at Kudelia's maid, who laid on the road just a few feet from where he had managed to drag Kudelia. If she didn't die in the next few minutes from blood loss, she'd probably die from an infection or an inability to operate in zero G. Either way, she probably wouldn't make it. They'd be slowed down making to back to the ship if they had to carry her.
"We have to go." He said, tugging on Kudelia's arm. Yet, she didn't budge. First it was Atra being kidnapped and beaten, and now it was Kudelia nearly being assassinated. The only two girls he had ever thought anything about. He was no stranger to anger, but he always knew why he was angry before. Now, he didn't understand why.
Mikazuki furrowed his brow and marched over to Fumitan. Acting quickly, he wrapped his large jacket around her wound tightly, immediately soaking it in blood, but stemming the flow by a good bit. They were a few miles from the ship. If he contacted Eugene, he could get them some fast transport. He turned to Kudelia, who had walked back towards Fumitan, and grabbed her jaw roughly, making her focus on him.
"Contact the Isaribi. Tell Eugene we need a ride. I'll carry Fumitan."
"You know, when you first told me what your plans were, I thought about having you arrested." Gaelio said, looking at a screen showing live footage from the Dort colonies. Unedited, it showed the amount of carnage being carried out by Gjallarhorn's hands. He was there on the colony with McGillis, safely on the ship they had used to stay anonymous.
"I know you needed proof. This is only one example of what Gjallarhorn does behind the scenes. Dealing with pirates and mercenaries, protecting the public at large. The truth is that they'll do anything to keep everyone under their control." McGillis said, watching the screen with his closest friend.
Gaelio turned to McGillis, doubt still in his eyes. "It took you this long to tell me what you were planning. If everything works out, it'll just be you replacing the Seven Stars. I wonder, where did I, or Carta, or Almiria fit into that vision of yours?"
McGillis said nothing. He had decided to be honest with Gaelio, and he truly didn't know the answer to his question. Was he a pawn, or a bishop? Deep down, he felt like he knew the answer to that, but unless it came to that, he didn't want to think about it.
"Don't answer. I don't want to know. I never knew what you were thinking but always wanted to find out. Now I don't. Reforming Gjallarhorn is all well and good until you start becoming just like them. At what point is the price of power too much? How many lives are you willing to sacrifice for your ambitions?"
McGillis remained silent. Not one year ago, he would've had the answer to that question. As many as it took. But there were mysteries about Gjallarhorn he couldn't resolve on his own. There were events in motion he didn't have a good grasp on. He knew what he was. He was a sociopath who had identified power as the ultimate tool, and Gjallarhorn as a workbench. But he was finding out that he didn't know who he was.
"I'll sit this one out. Those space rats will probably get themselves blown up before reaching Earth, anyways. But I haven't decided on whether or not I'm going to turn you in. Not when I don't know you'll be better than what currently exists. Prove that to me and I'll make my decision." Gaelio said, walking out of the room. Just before the door closed, McGillis called out to his only friend.
"Gaelio. As few as possible. That's the answer to your question."
Things had gotten completely out of hand. The entire colony was on lockdown and under martial law, and getting back to the Isaribi had been a handful of trouble on its own, not to mention the news crew they picked up along the way. Meanwhile, a Gjallarhorn fleet was waiting outside the colony. The entire situation was a mess.
Kudelia, after seeing the brutal suppression of the Dort citizens, found her resolve and came up with a plan to get them away from the colony cluster with minimal bloodshed. But that didn't mean they would just stand still while the enemy decided whether or not to fire at them, so every Mobile Suit at their disposal was being prepped for sortie. But they'd be doing it alone, as Teiwaz couldn't get into such a plain confrontation with Gjallarhorn, which meant Naze wouldn't be helping them.
As the Dort workers were being slaughtered by Gjallarhorn due to what appeared to be sabotaged equipment, Mikazuki floated towards the rendezvous point where he'd be delivered his partner, Barbatos. He found her strength to carry on while her only confidant, who had betrayed her, barely clung to life in Isaribi's medbay, quite amazing. It was more than he expected from someone like her.
Coming to a stop at the designated point, he floated quietly as he watched the delivery ship get closer to him. The carnage around him was on a level he'd never seen before from outside a cockpit, yet he didn't feel anything. No sorrow. No remorse. No fear. He knew that he was different, but it was one of the few times he recognized that, if he were normal, he'd be feeling something significant at that moment.
Gaelio stood in the hangar bay of the Montag Company ship, next to his family's heirloom, Gundam Kimaris. McGillis had told him to bring it with him if he wanted to have the option to forcefully bring him in, and he had done just that. He still wasn't sure what to do, but he hadn't expected the answer he had gotten to his question. It was a textbook answer, though, so it was hard to tell if McGillis was being genuine or not. He didn't know what to think about the man he called his closest friend. Was everything a lie? Was he unable to see McGillis for what he was? Or had he been seeing the same man this entire time and just trusted in his friend's character? He didn't know.
He stood there watching a screen showing a live feed of the battle occurring outside the colony. McGillis had no doubt hacked into their systems to get said feed. He watched in contemplation as the space rats – Tekkadan, as they called themselves – fought desperately to reach Earth. He had to admit, even he could see that the small boy who had manhandled him back on Mars had become an excellent pilot. If he were to face him with Kimaris, it would be a close fight. But what he was fighting wasn't a duel. He was facing an entire fleet. A single, dilapidated ship and a small handful of Mobile Suits, Gundams or not, wouldn't beat an entire fleet.
McGillis had told him his plans. If Tekkadan fell here, he'd bide his time and wait for another 'worthy' entity to ally himself with, whatever that meant. If they somehow succeeded, he'd throw everything he had into supporting them so long as it served the 'greater good'.
He couldn't imagine it. Mars was a colony of Earth. It had always been that way. Economic independence simply wasn't in the cards for them. Mars was still mostly uninhabitable land, and it required a massive amount of resources to continue to terraform. But, he did understand their plight, if only a little. Gjallarhorn was, obviously at this point, oppressive to an extreme degree. Getting beaten for requesting a fair wage wasn't justice. Doing the beating wasn't something he had signed up to do. Slaughtering dozens of workers to control a narrative was disgusting. On that, he and McGillis agreed. But even so, Tekkadan would die today. They simply didn't have the means to break past the entire Arianhood fleet that was heading towards them as they regrouped with their ship.
Dozens of Mobile Suits were seen launching from the Gjallarhorn ships, all of them with one purpose: To crush dissidents like Tekkadan and the Bernstein girl. They might have the strength to take a good amount down, but that was it. Eventually their ship would be destroyed and their Gundam Frames would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. With this, Tekkadan died.
Then, a transmission was heard, and a smaller broadcast popped up on screen showing a well-dressed, but obviously distressed young woman. It was her. Somehow, she had gotten through the jamming.
"I am Kudelia Aina Bernstein. Right now, through this television screen, I'm calling out to all of you. Is my voice reaching you? I want to tell everyone about what is happening at the Dort colonies in the corner of space. The truth about the people who live there."
On a secure channel, Gaelio heard Gjallarhorn scrambling to figure out how she was broadcasting to shut it down. Somehow, the broadcasts were reaching Earth. They didn't want her to be heard. They didn't want the truth to reach Earth's citizens.
"I have acted with the wish to save the people of Mars, my home. But I was much too ignorant. The people being oppressed my Gjallarhorn existed all around space. At the Dort colony, I met people who stood up to change their situation. They chose to have a protest, but that was merely to negotiate with Gjallarhorn for fair wages and equal rights to people living on Earth."
Gaelio heard the Gjallarhorn audio feeds go from urgency to panic. It sounded like the Regulatory Bureau was silent on how the broadcast was still going on.
"However, when they started their protest, there were mysterious explosions nearby as if it had all been arranged. They weren't set off by the people of Dort. Without taking any time to investigate, Gjallarhorn started attacking the workers. And that battle... No. That massacre is still continuing."
"Right now, my ship is surrounded by Gjallarhorn's fleet. I want to ask Gjallarhorn. Aren't you supposed to be the ones standing for justice? Is this what you call justice? If so, I will not approve such a kind of justice. If you think what I'm saying is wrong... That is fine. Shoot down my ship right now!"
That was bold of her, but it wouldn't be enough. When facing a situation where they would either appear weak or appear tyrannical, Gjallarhorn's playbook was always to 'show strength'. They didn't care if they were feared or respected, just so long as it was one of those to the common people. They didn't want to risk losing any bit of the control they had.
But the shots never came, and a series of confused transmissions started bouncing around Gjallarhorn channels. There was a response from the Regulatory Bureau in the form of orders. A ceasefire. The only way that would happen is at the request of a major political faction. The girl's message reached Earth and someone powerful heard them.
Gaelio wasn't sure how to feel other than shocked. He wouldn't watch a ship full of children – though they were space rats – be destroyed, but at the same time, he knew what came next for McGillis. If he was going to stop him from continuing this mad crusade of his, it would have to be now or never. The next time McGillis would be this close to Tekkadan, he'd be actively fighting against Gjallarhorn. That meant likely killing people who would otherwise be on the same side. Not just support from the shadows. Not acting would be the same as condoning his actions. He had to choose a side.
Galio lost himself in thought as he absentmindedly watched the Tekkadan ship float past the halted Gjallarhorn fleet.
Post Disaster 324
April 11th
Sumeragi Lee Noriega sat in the Commander's chair of the Ptolemaios 2 Kai, Celestial Being's upgraded warship, watching the bridge crew go through the final pre-flight checks. There was a lot on her mind, but she had to remain focused on the mission at hand.
"Pre-flight checks complete. All systems green. The Ptolemy is ready to launch." Came Feldt Grace's voice, brimming with confidence.
Ms. Sumeragi nodded. Their ship was in tip-top shape. Their Gundams were pristine. They had enough supplies and spare parts. They had all the information they needed. For three hundred years, Gjallarhorn had been stepping on the neck of the people it once fought to protect from demons masquerading as angels. For three hundred years, they waited for an answer to the injustices committed against them for the sake of 'keeping the peace'. For three hundred years, Celestial Being had slept in cryostasis, waiting to be awakened. They'd all waited long enough.
It was time to begin the operation.
"Alright. Ptolomaios.. Launch."
Gjallarhorn Top-Level Archives, Entry #01120-CB
Graham Aker's death brought an end to living peoples previously connected directly to Celestial Being. However, due to the nature of his death there was no way to retrieve his body to study the proper Alaya-Vijnana system designed by Celestial Being. All attempts at reproducing the Alaya-Vijnana system without a viable sample of a working Celestial Being implant have resulted in disfigurement, and often death upon linking to the Gundam Frames. All viable results have been mothballed underneath Gjallarhorn Headquarters on Earth, as it began to resemble the war machines that nearly brought an
end to Humanity.
After much deliberation, Gjallarhorn leadership officially outlawed any further attempts to manufacture Alaya-Vijnana systems and implants. As of P.D 99, this has been met with limited results. Despite all known research notes and data being confiscated, various outlaws, most notably pirates and paramilitary operatives have been witnessed using and operating Alaya-Vijnana systems, albeit the results and performance do not match the same data drawn from Celestial Being, indicating a truly inferior product to the original and the results produced by Gjallarhorn that remain in mothball as of P.D 99.
Kamisama541 on Chapter 4 Tue 08 Apr 2025 06:08PM UTC
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