Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ MS Seed Girls ❯ Its name is Gundam and her name is MS Girl ( Chapter 2 )

MS Seed Girls

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Alexandra Kerensky.

 

Notes: Some words in Russian and their translations.

Da: yes.

Niet: no.

Tovarisch: comrade.

Kak dila: how are you?

Izvinitié: excuse me.

Pajalousta: please.

Spassiba: thank you.

Minia zavout: I am called…

Ya ni panimaïou: I don't understand.

Chto: What?

Sivodnia: today.

 

 

Chap 2: Itsname is GUNDAM and her name is MS Girl.

 

 

Beginning song:

 

When we pass by each other in haste

We collide and hurt one another

We feel the pain in each other's wings

I held you in my arms full of loneliness

Because I didn't know anything else

I long for the moment we connect

And awaken eternity

 

Having been exposed to

The twinkling of time's rapid flow

I can't reach it alone

With fragile words such as “wish”

The truth of

The entangled fever I want to impart

Who am I protecting it from?

Because the feelings you always wanted me to have

They are still there

 

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Year 70 of the Cosmic Era.

 

Due to the Bloody Valentine tragedy, tensions between Earth and the PLANTs quickly developed into a full-fledged armed conflict.

 

No one doubted that the larger Earth Forces would be victorious but these early predictions proved to be wrong.

 

Almost eleven months passed since the war began, with no end in sight.

 

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Wounded, but still capable, Murrue moved to the pilot seat inside the prototype Mobile Suit Strike. She turned to Kira. “Get behind the seat.” She began to power up the various systems of the complex machine. “The machine, at least… Even I should be able to move it.”

 

As cameras activated, the view-screens of the Mobile Suit projected what was going on around. Kira looked to the other prototype inside the factory. A machine his best friend, wearing a ZAFT uniform, had boarded. `Athrun? No, that's not possible!'

 

The Mobile Operating System of the computer came online and Kira read the initials that appeared: General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Manoeuvre. “Gun…dam.”

 

The powerful machine moved and broke its restraints. Its power indicator was in full charge and Murrue made the Mobile Suit standing up. Around them, explosions ravaged the factory.

 

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Inside the colony, a warning was diffused to the population.

 

“A level 8 evacuation order has been issued for all of Heliopolis. Residents are to make their way to the closest shelter ay once.”

 

As the battle raged, the population was desperately attempting to evacuate the combat zone.

 

“What's going on?”

 

“Where are the shelters?!”

 

“Can't go! Try this route!”

 

The group of Miriallia, Tolle, Sai and Kuzzey had tried to escape the explosions around them and found themselves in front of the exit of the Morgenroete's factory.

 

Emerging from the smoke, two Mobile Suits coloured in grey landed before the beleaguered people.

 

“There are more?”

 

It was then that a redheaded girl in a sailor school uniform rushed out from the smoke. Alexandra Kerensky had been protected from the explosions within the factory by her New-Type aura. Dismissing it before she was spotted by bystanders, she ran, her speed helped by her power. Her senses were focused on her friend Kira aboard one of the Earth Forces prototype.

 

“Alex?!”

 

The voice of Miriallia took her completely by surprise. She turned and stopped in front of the rest of her friends, eyes widened with fear for them. “You guys…? Wha…Niet… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE! Go to the shelters immediately!” She couldn't believe it! What were they thinking?

 

Tolle looked at her in dismay. “We can't. All the access in this sector have been destroyed or blocked by debris.”

 

Alex grinded her teeth and clinched her fists. “Shit! Da! Follow me! Quick!” She ran. She must take them away from the combat zone. Still shocked by what was going on around them, the group followed her without complaints or questions.

 

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Aboard their GINNs, Miguel Airman and his wingman looked with satisfaction to the last two prototypes their forces were supposed to capture. “Athrun!”

 

But the radio contact of his friend changed everything. “Rusty failed!”

 

“What?”

 

“An officer of the Earth Forces has boarded the other machine.”

 

Inside the Gundam Strike, Murrue was attempting to have an idea of the situation before moving. She activated the auxiliary cameras to obtain information.

 

Kira was suddenly looking on the left-side screen to the group of his friend escaping from the zone. “Alex! Mir! Sai! Tolle! Kuzzey!”

 

“Shit!” Miguel brought online his 76 mm Heavy Assault Machine-Gun and opened fire on the Mobile Suit. He bracketed the machine to pin it.

 

Miguel signalled his wingman to follow up and activated his Heavy Blade. “Then we'll capture that machine! You go ahead and leave here with that!”

 

Athrun was dismayed. If what he had saw in the factory was really his old friends... `Kira? Alex? No, it can't be! There's no way they could've been there.' He took his decision and began to reprogram the OS system to take a better control of the Mobile Suit prototype.

 

The two GINNs began to rush and manoeuvre around the Gundam. Murrue dodged the first charge by jumping with the verniers. Unfortunately, the cramped cockpit wasn't made for two people and Kira found himself falling on the lap of the female officer. “Stay back! Do you wanna die?!”

 

“I'm sorry!”

 

Miguel used the lapse of concentration and jumped on the enemy Suit, sword high. Murrue played her last trump card and activated the special feature of the Strike. The grey armour suddenly shifted to white and blue colours with a red trim. The Gundam took the sword hit on its crossed forearms without a scratch.

 

Miguel couldn't believe what he was seeing. “What?”

 

Kira was impressed. “This Mobile Suit…” This was the moment that the wound on the arm of Murrue chose to warn the woman that she wasn't in top health.

 

Miguel retreated in front of the phenomena. “Damn! What's going on? What's with this armour?!”

 

Still in video-contact, Athrun warned his fellow pilot. “They're equipped with Phase-Shift Armour. Once activated, a GINN's saber or any type of physical attack is useless!”

 

Athrun activated the red-coloured Phase-Shift Armour of his prototype and dealt with two missiles and their launcher with his dual 75 mm Automatic Multi-Barrel CIWS “Igelstellung”.

 

Miguel turned to his comrade. “You get outta here now! There's no reason for you to stick around forever!” He smirked. He could still restrain the rogue unit with his wingman.

 

Athrun looked to the Gundam Strike, an image of Kira and Alex floating in his perception. There was nothing more that he could do. He took off and began to exit the colony.

 

Murrue opened fire with the dual “Igelstellungs” that was the standard secondary weapon of the prototypes. Unfortunately, she wasn't a pilot and all the shots were easily dodged by the two GINNs to the dismay of Kira. `Why, this hasn't been…'

 

Miguel smirked. “Ha! Superior armour alone isn't gonna save you!” He proceeded then to show the better mobility of his GINN. “You haven't got the movement!”

 

The Phase-Shift Armour absorbed the hits of the sword but it wasn't capable to annul all the kinetic energy of the impact. The Gundam found itself threw back into buildings by the dual attacks of the GINNs. With horror, Kira detected his five friends on the rear sensors of the machine.

 

Miguel pursued the offensive. “A Natural piloting a Mobile Suit? You're in way over your head!” He targeted directly the cockpit, hoping to incapacitate the pilot.

 

Kira took the initiative and manoeuvred the Strike. He ducked under the sword strike and shouldered-push the GINN. Taken by surprise, Miguel's Suit was projected away on its back. His wingman rushed around to strike the Gundam and Alex took action.

 

When the two GINNs attacked the Suit with Kira, she had been dismayed. She wanted to protect her friends but couldn't do anything for Kira at the same time. To her horror, she saw the manoeuvring of the Mobile Suits pushing Kira's into the building near her and the group she wanted to protect. Worse, she could now see the wingman of the attacker rushing to the offensive and they were on the way.

 

`No turning back.' “Stay behind me!” Panicked, her friends looked to the Russian girl stepping in front of the rushing behemoth and jerked back as a green aura flashed into existence around her.

 

A sudden mental pressure, never felt before in this universe, stopped all the belligerents and drew their gaze to the glowing teenager.

 

Alex didn't have recovered the necessary power to call her most powerful configurations, but there was one that any New-Type could summon: The first configuration that one like her sculpted from the well of psionic energy.

 

A phrase pronounced a billion of times in another dimension was uttered for the first time. “Mobile Suit Power-Armour… ON!”

 

Alexandra Kerensky seemed to explode as her aura amplified ten-fold. The teenager floated in the air, her silhouette obscured by a globe of green energy. Inside the sphere, her clothes disintegrated and solidified psionic energy took shape on her body.

 

First, a sleeveless inner suit leotard-like of white colour with a blue trim. Next was the blue upper torso-armour with red trim. White coloured shoulder-pads and hip-protections followed. The forearms were covered by a large blue armour piece with white trim. White with blue trim armoured knee boots with the secondary propulsion unit materialized and a blue metal band circled the middle of the right thigh. The white backpack, with the main propulsion unit, locked in the rear of the torso. Finally, the white headpiece blue trimmed with the golden V-fins appeared to complete the Power-Armour.

 

As the sphere of energy began to diffuse, Alex opened her blazing eyes of liquid emerald and focused on the external weaponry: The final stage of the transformation. Two white beam sabers clamped on the backpack near the shoulders, a black beam rifle materialized in her right white-gloved hand and the left sported an impressive red shield.

 

The Power-Armour Gundam RX-78 NT1 “ALEX” type landed softly on the ground of Heliopolis and the only MS Girl present in this universe faced the combatants.

 

Taking advantage of the effect of surprise, Alex opened her com-unit on an all-bands channel and boosted her voice to megaphone-level. “ATTENTION, ZAFT UNITS! YOU ARE ENDANGERING THE CIVILIAN POPULATION. WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL SHOOT TO KILL! THIS IS YOUR ONLY AND LAST WARNING!”

 

Aboard his GINN, Miguel stared to the small armoured figure. “What the hell is that?!”

 

His wingman was no better and stayed still, his manoeuvre completely aborted. “I don't know.”

 

Sensing the break of action, Alex concentrated her telepathic power on her best friend. Tovarisch!

 

Aboard the Strike, Kira jerked, hearing the unexpected but familiar feminine voice in his head. “What…?”

 

It doesn't matter. Use the diversion to your profit. Now!

 

Sensing the urgency and not knowing if Alex could really do something to protect herself and his friend, Kira rushed to the controls of the powerful machine to the surprise of the lieutenant Ramius. “You…?”

 

“There are still people here. If you're gonna ride something like this, try putting it to use!”

 

As he accessed the parameters of the Operating System, Kira was completely baffled by the crude and awkward trees of control. “This is nuts! How do they expect to move complex machinery using this kind of OS?”

 

Despite the situation, Murrue tried to defend her work. “It hasn't been completed yet! It can't be helped!”

 

Miguel Airman was a trained soldier. He brought back his Suit on its legs. To him, the little silhouette on his screen looked like a heavily modified and armed Exo-Frame, like those used for moving heavy loads: Hardly a threat even with its man-scale heavy weapons. So, instead of hearing the warning of Alex, he focused on the last Earth Forces prototype “Damn you!”

 

Handicapped by the cramped situation, Kira turned to Murrue. “Please move! Hurry!”

 

Flabbergasted, the young woman exchanged place with the engineer student. Kira brought online the manual controls and keyboard of the main computer. He then began to reprogram the war machine with astonishing speed.

 

The beleaguered lieutenant Ramius could only look to him working. `This kid…'

 

Miguel took initiative and signalled his wingman. “Let's go!” The two Mobile Suits rushed to attack the Strike Gundam. Kira saw the manoeuvre and opened fire with the “Igelstellungs”.

 

The bullets didn't penetrate the armour of the GINN but Miguel was sufficiently rattled to falter in his attack. “What?” Kira seized the occasion and punched the enemy Suit in the head, sending the machine crashing into a building.

 

This was nothing compared to the actions of Alex. As Miguel initiated his attack, his wingman resumed his last action and rushed the Strike in a pincer manoeuvre. He ignored the insignificant threat, to him, in his way.

 

The New-Type girl narrowed her eyes and her telepathic voice echoed on the battlefield with a word that had been the last one for countless pilots in her home-world during the Millennial War.

 

Targeting!

 

She locked on the main torso of the rushing GINN where the cockpit and main generator were located and opened fire with her Beam Rifle. Contrary to most of the energy weapons in this universe who fired laser beams or particles beams, this Beam Rifle fired a stream of high-intensity particles called Mega-Particles. A direct hit could penetrate almost any standard armour and initiated a catastrophic overload in any type of generator. Only an Anti-Beam Coating could stop such an attack.

 

A pale pink beam pierced through the armoured torso of the GINN. His pilot didn't have time to scream as his Mobile Suit exploded instantly. A cloud of debris rained on the Russian New-Type girl who protected the group of her friends with her shield.

 

Miriallia, Tolle, Sai and Kuzzey could only look on their protector: A green-eyed teenager that was until now an almost normal girl in their eyes.

 

Alex's eyes darkened as she saw the fear in the bewildered gaze of her friends. She internally sighed: It was expected. “Kak Dila…? Let's get you out of here!” Using their shock, she herded the students to a more secure location. She briefly contacted Kira by telepathy. Kira! I'm protecting our friends. Focus only on your own survival. Be careful Tovarisch.

 

Seeing all his friends running to security and `hearing' the green-eyed armoured girl, the young Coordinator shook himself and began anew to reprogram the Gundam prototype. “Take the calibrations and reset the zero moment point and CPG. Then connect the control module directly to the molecular ion pump! Reconstruct the neural linkage network!”

 

As his concentration became total, the fingers of Kira danced at warp speed on the keyboard. `Renew meta-active field, reactivate feed forward controls, convey function! Adjust Coriolis deviation! Connect to motion routines! System online! Initiate bootstrap!'

 

Miguel gazed on the crater that marked his destroyed wingman. `What the hell happened?' He searched for the Exo-Frame but it was nowhere in sensor range. Putting his grief and anger in the back of his mind, the ZAFT pilot focused on the remaining threat as, once again, he brought his GINN standing up. “What happened to that guy? He's suddenly moving better!”

 

The Mobile Suit opened fire with his Machine Gun, scoring two hits on the Strike. The Phase-Shift Armour absorbed the damage but the explosive bullets shook the prototype. Kira switched on the main propulsion and fly away, dodging the subsequent attacks of the GINN that was following in the air.

 

The Orb student realised that he must take the offensive. “Weapons!” He brought the Offensive Systems list on his main screen and realised that he was severely limited. ““Igelstellung” and “Armor Schneider”?”

 

He couldn't believe it! “IS THIS IT?” Never the less, he drew the twin armour-piercing knives and landed on the ground, dodging the fire of the GINN.

 

Miguel was loosing his cool. “Damn, you pest!”

 

Kira was dismayed by the enemy pilot that was firing indiscriminately without any regard for the civilian population. “Not here!”

 

Bringing on again his propulsion, he rushed to the Mobile Suit. “STOP IT!” Kira entered the guard of Miguel and pierced the shoulders of the GINN with the “Armor Schneider”, severing the control lines of the arms and effectively disarming the enemy Suit.

 

Aboard his machine, Miguel could only acknowledge the effectiveness of the attack. “Hydro not responding! Multi-drive system offline!”

 

He swore. Well, he still had a last trump card to play. He armed the auto-destruction system and evacuated his Suit with his Jetpack.

 

Seeing the pilot flying away, Murrue understood immediately. “This isn't good! Step away from the GINN!”

 

Too late! The Mobile Suit exploded, sending the Strike crashing and shaking the occupants. In a relatively safe location, Alex and her friends looked to the scene.

 

The MS Girl clinched her fists. “Shit! Stay there! I'm going to help them.”

 

It was enough to reboot the minds of the students. Seeing one of them rushing to danger, even if she was wearing a Power-Armour brought the Orb residents to their senses. Miriallia seized the gloved hand of Alex. “No way, Alex! We're going with you!”

 

Alex's eyes widened. “Ctho?”

 

Tolle smirked. “You heard my girlfriend. Let's go.” Shaking her head, Alex ran to the crashed Gundam, followed by her friends. “Oh, by the way, I hope to hear your explanation about `that'. I'm sure this is going to be juicy.”

 

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Inside the damaged dock of the Archangel, Natarle Badgiruel was brought back to consciousness when the body of a fellow soldier hit her in the no-gravity tunnel. She quickly assessed the state of the man but his glazed eyes and absence of vital signs left no mistake on his death.

 

She sighed then her soldier's reflexes kicked in. “The ship. Where's the Archangel?”

 

There was nothing she could do here. She must join the ship. She propelled herself into the darkened corridors.

 

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Outside the colony, the space battle was turning into a slaughter. A GINN managed to hit the controls of the Earth Forces ship. The pilot attempted in vain to reroute his damaged steering. “I can't steer it!”

 

With horror, the captain could only scream as his ship entered into collision with the colony and exploded.

 

Aboard his Moebius Zero, Mu La Flaga continued the combat, alone. “Shit! Can't we do anything about this difference in firepower?”

 

He managed to manoeuvre his Gun-Barrels around the GINN and opened fire. He destroyed its Heavy Machine Gun then cut off its arm with his Linear Gun when the pilot attempted to initiate a melee with its Heavy Blade.

 

Aboard the Vesalius, the bridge officers received the transmission of the damaged GINN.

 

“Olor's suit's been heavily damaged. He's making an emergency return!”

 

“Fire-fighting unit, to B-Deck!”

 

The captain Fredrick Ades frowned. “Olor's been hit? In a simple battle like this?”

 

The commander Rau Le Creuset was of the same advice as his captain. “There appears to be one rather annoying fly buzzing around.”

 

And then a shocking new was received. “Laser beacon from Miguel Airman's team received! It's an emergency… His wingman's Suit has been destroyed! No survivor!”

 

Under the mask, Rau frowned. “If it's working well enough to cause Miguel to lose his unit and his wingman… All the more the reason why we can't ignore the last one.” He then proceeded to the hangar to launch in his Mobile Suit.

 

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EYECATCH

 

The Strike Gundam appears in its basic configuration, wielding its twin Assault Knives. Then, it shows the Hyper-Impulse Cannon “Agni” of the “Launch” configuration. Finally, we see the anti-ship blade “Schwert Gewehr” of the “Sword” configuration.

 

EYECATCH

 

Alex appears in her basic configuration of the RX-78 NT1 Gundam with the pop-up Gatling Guns blazing. Then, we see her with a Hyper-Bazooka and Standard Shield. Finally, she shows the Chobham Full Armour with an activated Beam Saber and Beam Rifle.

 

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Natarle finally arrived into the ravaged command room. “Anybody! Is anyone here?”

 

But no one answered her and a burnt and ragged cap floated into her hands as to signify the uselessness of her calls. “Damn! Aren't there any survivors?” Tears leaked from her violet eyes as she clinched the cap.

 

Suddenly, a reinforced door was battered down and Arnold Neumann brought up a flashlight in the destroyed deck. “Ensign Badgiruel! I'm glad you're okay.”

 

Natarle sighed in relief, she wasn't alone.

 

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In the jammed environment of modern space combat, communication and detection are vital. The Neutron-Jammers used by the two protagonists reduced significantly the range of any electro-magnetic sensors and radio-devices. Most were forced to use optical-based sensors and communication methods from the past. Two green flares and one red flare signalled a message to the GINNs.

 

Mu La Flaga observed with surprise the comportment of his enemies. “They're retreating? But there's still something…” With dread, the Mobile Armour pilot understood the strange feeling he was receiving. He quickly turned around his fighter and rushed to an approaching Mobile Suit that was still not on his sensors.

 

Aboard his white CGUE, Rau Le Creuset flew straight to the Moebius Zero. “Do you sense me, the way that I sense you? Some unlucky karma, don't you think, Mu La Flaga?”

 

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In an abandoned park, the group of six friends and an unconscious Murrue shared a little unwinding. With their help, Kira had managed to extract the wounded Lieutenant Ramius and kneel the power-depleted Gundam.

 

Alex had banished her Power-Armour. She didn't sense any danger nearby and the relief she felt from her friends was welcomed. She didn't answer their questions but she promised to reveal all when they will be in security. With Miriallia, she installed the wounded officer on a bench and started to work her magic.

 

Miriallia winced when Alexandra revealed the bleeding wound on the woman's arm. Alex frowned: The bullet had grazed an important vein and damaged many nerves and muscles and, of course, she didn't have any first aid supplies with her. She raised her hand above the wound and an emerald glow surrounded it. With awe, Miriallia observed as the wound closed by itself until there was only an angry scar with some fluids leaking.

 

“There, I can't do anything more.”

 

“Why…? I mean… You seal her wound. You can't go further?”

 

“Niet… Psychic Healing take a lot from the healer and the patient. I could go further, but the effort will be prohibitive to me and her. It's now best to leave her healing naturally.”

 

As she was helping bandaging the sealed wound, Miriallia attempted to know more. “Psychic?”

 

Alex smiled to the curious honey-haired girl. “Da, Psychic, Mir. If you want to know I am what you can call an Esper.”

 

“You mean someone with telepathy and telekinesis…” Miriallia's eyes widened. “Someone with those glowing eyes in the anime…”

 

The Russian girl smirked and let her eyes glowed with her power. “Da, someone likes that.”

 

Murrue moved and opened her eyes. Two faces turned to her and Miriallia smiled. “I see you're awake.” She called her friend. “Kira!”

 

Kira approached the young woman who was trying to move. “Oh, you'd better stay still for now.”

 

Alex soothed the Earth officer. “He's right. I cleaned and sealed your wound, but there's nothing I can do for now about the pain and the blood loss. Take it easy, Pajalousta.”

 

The orange-eyed woman looked to the brown-haired boy. Kira remembered what happened during the fight. “I apologize. I got kinda carried away in there.”

 

Miriallia came back with a water bottle. “Care for some water?”

 

“Thank you.” Murrue felt better. She felt better yet after Kira helped her to seat and she drunk eagerly the water. The redhead was right: Her wound had stopped bleeding and was masterfully dressed.

 

Conversation from the rest of the group derived to them. “This is awesome, this so-called Gundam!”

 

Tolle was observing the control board of the prototype. Kuzzey was looking, curious, from the opened hatch. “Does it move? Or doesn't it?”

 

Sai was not happy with the antics of his friends. As if they didn't have enough problems. “Guys! Stop playing with it!”

 

Hands in his pockets, Kuzzey looked down the armour. “Why'd it turn grey?”

 

Tolle answered as he was exiting the cockpit. “Maybe it's a sign the main battery's outta power.”

 

The angry voice of Murrue rang out. “Stay away from that machine!” A bullet ricocheted from the upper torso of the Mobile Suit, frightening the two boys.

 

Pointing her handgun in her left hand, the Lieutenant Ramius advanced to the frightened boys near the machine. Alex looked nonplussed. She had felt that Murrue had no intention to harm her friends, but for one second she had prepared to launch a lethal attack on the unsuspecting woman.

 

Kira was flabbergasted by the comportment of the female officer. “What do you think you're doing? Please stop it! Those are the guys who carried you out while you were unconscious!”

 

Murrue pointed her weapon to Kira. “I'm grateful that you saved me. But that thing is a top military secret! It's not something civilians should be allowed to touch thoughtlessly!”

 

Sai, Tolle and Kuzzey had approached during this little piece of information. Miriallia had stayed in place near the still immobile and cool Alexandra. Tolle looked to his friends. “Give me a break! It was Kira piloting it a moment ago.”

 

Murrue used her gun to herd the young people into one group. “All of you, this way… Tell me your names, one at a time.”

 

“Sai Argyle.” Sai was angry and his fists were clinched.

 

“Kuzzey Buskirk.” Kuzzey was confused. The situation had no tail, nor head.

 

“Tolle Koenig.” The young boy wasn't happy. What did they do?

 

“Miriallia Haw.” The green-eyed girl was frightened and stayed behind Kira and Alex.

 

Murrue retook her aim as the last two didn't answer. “Kira Yamato.” The young Coordinator looked calmly the armed officer.

 

“Minia Zavout Alexandra Kerensky.” The New-Type was ready. The Lieutenant Ramius was now locked on with her power. There was nothing she could do without her authorization.

 

“I'm Murrue Ramius. I'm an officer with the Earth Alliance Forces. I hate to say this, but I cannot allow you to leave.”

 

The group was flabbergasted except Alex who was listening to the surface thoughts and the emotions of the young woman. “What?”

 

“Regardless of how it happened, the fact is that you have seen a top military secret. Until I reach the appropriate authorities and it is determined how the situation will be handled, you have no choice but to remain with me at all times.”

 

For Kuzzey, confusion turned to shock. “You're kidding!”

 

Tolle began to get angry. “Are you outta your mind? That ludicrous!”

 

Murrue was extremely serious. Listening to her secret thoughts, Alex was impressed by the loyalty to her duty of the officer. “You will do as I say!”

 

Sai attempted to resolve the situation. “We're citizens of Heliopolis! We're neutral! We have nothing to do with the military!”

 

Kuzzey shook his head. “He's right!”

 

Tolle tried to deflect the problem back. “Besides, why are Earth Forces present in Heliopolis in the first place? That in itself makes no sense!”

 

Kuzzey jumped on the argument. “Right! That's how all this happened to begin with!”

 

Murrue interrupted the discussion by firing two times in the air. “Quiet! You kids don't understand anything! By declaring that you're neutral and have nothing to do with this, you can still distance yourself from what's happening! You don't really believe that, do you? The Earth Forces' most vital secret was here and you people saw it. That is the reality that you people face right now.”

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

The scream echoed in the ravaged park and Murrue jerked back her weapon onto an angry Alex. “What did you say?”

 

“I said shut up. I've heard enough of you!”

 

“Be quiet! You don't…”

 

A powerful and invisible force ripped her handgun from her hand. With alarm, Murrue looked to her floating weapon near an angry teenager with glowing emerald eyes.

 

“Ya Ni Panimaïou? HA! That's rich coming from you, Lieutenant Ramius.”

 

The redheaded Russian looked to the ravaged landscape. Her memory was supplying her with another long past ravaged colony when she was still an innocent young girl. “You have no need to be so rough with them.” She spoke softly. “They understand. They all understand even if it is only in their subconscious.” Alex turned to the frightened officer. “Besides, you should also look within yourself for guilty parties. Da! ZAFT is responsible for the attack. Da! We are no longer neutral. But Pajalousta, here everyone is guilty.” Her friends murmured to the bold declaration. “You, because of your prototypes. Them, because they attacked us without warning. And us, because we participated in the construction of the prototypes.”

 

The Esper sighed and caught the weapon floating in the air. She then calmly withdrew the magazine and disarmed the handgun before returning it to Murrue. The young woman looked nonplussed to her useless gun.

 

“And your story about top military secret. Ha! This technology is Orb in origin.” She waved to the colony. “Countless residents have seen your machines.” She pointed her finger to the Earth officer. “Worse! ZAFT can now analyze and reverse-engineer the captured Mobile Suits.” She looked sternly into the orange eyes of Murrue and felt pleased that the woman managed to not flinch under her glowing eyes. “Don't make me laugh about military secrets.”

 

Murrue attempted to regain the control of the situation. She was silently berating herself for having forgotten the luminous silhouette transforming into an armoured battle suit. “All right! What you said is true. But we're in the midst of a war here. Between the PLANTs and Earth. Between Coordinators and Naturals. Outside of the world you live in.”

 

Alex shook her head. “You don't understand, Murrue. This is not a war between two races. And before the end, you will see it too.”

 

The two females stayed locked into place, neither releasing an inch of their position. The group behind them looked to each other and Miriallia decided to reinstall the dialog. “So? What are we going to do?”

 

The Russian girl in the sailor school uniform sighed and closed her eyes, conceding the temporary victory to the young woman. She gazed up and focused on the near future. It was dangerous and not really precise, but it was for the best.

 

“We don't have the choice here.” She turned back to her friends and looked sombrely in their eyes. “The future is clouded in my vision. I don't like what I sense.”

 

Kira looked to his friends and sensed their tacit approval. “We will do what you think is the best. You have our confidence.”

 

Alex smiled and tears twinkled in her emerald eyes. “Spassiba, my friends.” She turned back to Murrue and gave her back the magazine of her gun. “We will stay with you, Lieutenant Ramius. You are our best ticket for safety, Sivodnia and for the foreseeable future.”

 

Murrue's eyes widened as she accept the magazine. She then shook herself and loaded it back. She holstered it and tried to focus on the next thing to do, especially with an Esper among her… She asked herself who was in custody here.

 

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Rau had hidden his CGUE among the metallic beams of the colony and he was waiting for his enemy. He suddenly jumped from his spot and opened fire on the Moebius Zero with his 76mm Heavy Assault Machine Gun.

 

Mu accelerated and dodged the fire. “Bastard! Is that you, Rau Le Creuset?” He launched his Gun-Barrels and attacked the Mobile Suit.

 

Rau manoeuvred to send his enemy into Hell. “You're always getting in the way, Mu La Flaga! Indeed, you may have the same opinion of me!” Having a nice and wicked idea, Rau turned to the colony and hit the boosters.

 

Mu understood the tactic. “He's gone into Heliopolis!” Inside the cramped interior of the colony, his fighter will loose much of its agility. But, he didn't have the choice.

 

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Arnold Neumann was grimly making his report to Ensign Badgiruel. “The only survivors are the few of us who were aboard the ship during the explosion. But most of the survivors are factory workers.”

 

“What's the present situation? What happened to the ZAFT vessels?”

 

“I have no idea. We have our hands full just confirming things around us.”

 

Finally inside the command deck, Natarle switch on the main reserve battery. A diagnostic of the state of the ship appeared and revealed that the vessel was almost intact. “This Archangel is quite the ship. It'll take more than this to sink it.”

 

“However, the harbour exit is blocked off with a rubble heap. We're completely trapped.”

 

The black-haired woman didn't like it. She switched on the radio on the preset frequency of the GAT X-105 Strike. “The airwaves are still jammed. But… Then this was a diversion? Then ZAFT's true target is Morgenroete?!” Natarle suddenly realised the enormity of the situation. “Damn! What's the situation over there? What happened to the G-weapons? This doesn't tell me a thing!”

 

From the radio a jammed transmission attempted to pass. “05… rike… here… forces… respond…”

 

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Aboard the Gundam, Kira was attempting to join any Earth Forces present. “X-105 Strike here, Earth Forces, please respond! Earth Forces, please respond!” But nothing could pass the interferences.

 

A massive trailer entered the park. Sai descended from it. Kuzzey, Tolle and Alex had accompanied the young boy to help and protect him. Only Sai and the Russian girl had professed experience in driving a truck.

 

Sai was still a little upset to have to follow the orders of the Earth officer. “The number five trailer you asked for. That's the one, right?”

 

Murrue was also still attempting to understand who and what was the mysterious green-eyed redheaded. “Yes. Right. Thank you.”

 

“And? What do you want us to do after this?”

 

“Get the Striker Pack.” She turned to Kira. “Once that's done, Kira, try contacting them one more time.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The young woman then turned to Alex, hesitated a little and asked away. “Alexandra? Can you… Could you contact someone by…telepathy?”

 

Alex smirked “Izvinitié, Lieutenant, without a familiar image or knowing the person, I would have to invest your mental privacy and you are simply not ready for it now.”

 

“Oh… Right… Thank you…”

 

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The CGUE and the Moebius Zero continued their lethal game of hide-and-seek.

 

Mu was having problems. Like he thought, his mobility was impaired in the interior of the colony's main shaft. “Why, in a place like this?”

 

Rau smiled. “I'd be glad if you'd just disappear right about now, Mu!” He launched an attack and managed to hit two Gun-Barrels, forcing Mu to eject them before they exploded.

 

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Arnold looked bewildered to his superior seating in the main command chair. “Launch the ship? That's impossible with the number of people we have!”

 

“If you have time to argue, spend it on finding a way to do it! Morgenroete could still be under attack, you know!” Jackie Tonomura arrived with two others crewmen at this time. “Are you suggesting we remain confined here and ignore what's happening there?”

 

But this was not time to listen to argument. “I brought them!”

 

Natarle turned to the new crewmen. “Take your seat! Just do as the computer instructs you!”

 

“Yes, ma'am!”

 

Arnold tried again. “The ZAFT vessels are still out there! We're in no position to fight!”

 

“I know that! Prepare to fire the Positron Blaster Cannons "Lohengrin" as we activate the ship! You can do it, can't you, Chief Petty Officer?”

 

Arnold sighed then took his position on the steering station.

 

Natarle took control of the operation. “Begin takeoff sequence! Due to the urgency, we'll omit C-30 to L-21 from the process! Main power, online!”

 

Jackie surveyed the energy status of the ship. “Output increase stable. 450 seconds to required rating.”

 

Natarle shook her head. “That's too long! What's the status of conduits to Heliopolis?”

 

“They're unharmed!”

 

At last, a good new. Natarle smiled. “Draw power from them! Conduits online! Relay power to accumulator!”

 

“Confirming connection! Flow stable, 20 seconds to required rating!”

 

“Life support systems satisfactory.”

 

“CIC online.”

 

Arnold looked to his controls. “Weapons systems online. FCS contact. Magnetic field chamber and pellet dispenser idling stable.”

 

“Holding external shock damper at maximum output.”

 

Jackie smiled as everything fell into place. “Contact main power. Engine stable. All Archangel systems online. Preparations for takeoff complete!”

 

The Ensign Badgiruel launched the final stage. “Seal all airtight bulkheads! All hands, be prepared for impacts and sudden damage to the ship. Proceed slowly. Archangel, take off!”

 

The six main engines pushed slowly the ship to the exit. The Positron Blaster Cannons "Lohengrin" locked into position.

 

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Inside the main shaft, the duel continued. Rau finally destroyed the last Gun-Barrels of Mu. The Earth Alliance pilot was really in difficulty.

 

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The Strike walked to the opening trailer n°5. A formidable equipment was revealed. Alex looked to it and frowned. It was obviously a heavy weapon, a very heavy weapon. Probably equally very powerful. She sighed. Once again the arm race was in full motion.

 

Kira leaned out of the cockpit. “Which is the power pack?”

 

Murrue looked from the bench. Alex had forbidden her to do anything physical due to her blood loss. “The weapons and power pack are together in one unit! Mount the whole unit!”

 

Near the control unit of the trailer, Alex, Miriallia, Kuzzey and Sai surveyed the process of the docking. Miriallia was listening to the still ringing alarm. “The evacuation orders are still in effect, I guess.”

 

Sai was worried. “I wonder if my father and the others evacuated safely.”

 

Alex smiled and turned to the bespectacled boy. “Ah! There, I can help you.”

 

Her friends blinked to her. Kuzzey was confused. “How?”

 

“As I said, I can contact someone I know. And, of course…”

 

Miriallia beamed, eyes widened. “You know our parents!”

 

“Da. Give me a moment.” The New-Type closed her eyes and listened to her power. She let her instincts guiding her to the familiar psyches.

 

Kuzzey turned to Miriallia. “Do you think she can do it?”

 

“She never lied to us.”

 

Sai waited, smiling. “And until now, her power is efficient and...”

 

“Got them!” The group whirled to her. “They are…all right.” Her friends sighed in relief. “They're not together, but they are all inside shelters… Some are rather…anxious about you.”

 

Miriallia grabbed the arm of the Russian girl. “Can we talk to them?”

 

“Bad idea… Unless, you know what is a telepathic contact, you risk to believe you are insane.” She smiled to the green-eyed girl. “Don't worry. I can touch them lightly in a way that they will `know' we are alive and safe. Okay, Mir?”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Alex was continuing her telepathic search. “Come on… Where are you?”

 

Sai frowned. “A problem?”

 

“Niet I… There she is!” Alex opened her glowing eyes to Sai. “Fllay is all right and also inside a shelter.” The young boy beamed to the good new. “Poor girl, she's alone… Almost on the verge of hysteria.”

 

“Can't you do anything?”

 

Alex was worried internally. She didn't like what she was sensing in Fllay Allster. “Yeah, I'm doing it. She will feel better.” The glow disappeared. “I can't do all I wanted or all what is needed but it should be all right.”

 

Miriallia was perplexed. “Why?”

 

“Because, if I do more than that, I would violate her mental privacy.” The group blinked to the rappel of the formidable potential of an Esper. Alex had confessed that she could read their most intimate thoughts and memories but refrained to do it because in her eyes it was a rape. Unless it was a life or death situation, she limited herself to the surface thoughts and the emotions.

 

Now that he was reassured, Kuzzey sighed. “I wanna hurry up and go home.”

 

Suddenly Alex jumped to her feet. “Danger!”

 

A portion of a wall of the main shaft exploded. The white CGUE of Rau Le Creuset flew in, followed by the red Moebius Zero of Mu La Flaga.

 

The optical sensors of the CGUE locked onto the Strike. “So. That's it.”

 

Mu was of the same advice. “The final unit?”

 

The CGUE rushed to the attack but the Moebius flew right to prevent it. Alex swore and turned to her friends. “Take cover immediately!” She immediately began to focus on her power and faltered. Would she dare again? Would she unleash again the power of the MS Girls on this unsuspecting universe? Would she plunge again in the hell of a war? Would she be responsible of another tragedy?

 

Murrue ran to the Strike. “Mount the equipment! Hurry!”

 

Using his better mobility in an atmosphere, Rau drew his Heavy Blade and managed to surprise Mu by an attack above him. Mu pulled up but Rau cut off his Linear Gun.

 

“What?”

 

Now effectively disarmed, Mu could only rage as Rau rushed to attack the Strike. “I'll sink you now while I have the chance!”

 

Kira managed in extremis to don the Stricker Pack and switch on the Phase-Shift Armour.

 

Inside the harbour, the Archangel arrived to the closed exit.

 

Natarle psyched herself for the coming battle. “Fire "Lohengrin" cannons as we reach maximum battle speed!”

 

The Positron Blasters Cannons unleashed a wave of destruction that cut through the reinforced door and the artificial rock of the colony behind.

 

Rau turned to the explosion. “What?”

 

Haloed by the smoke, the white Archangel flew inside the colony, under the bewildered gaze of all the combatants.

 

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Ending song:

 

Such common gentleness would only

Make you stay away from me

The heart you coldly cast away

Just wanders aimlessly

If such ugliness is

The definition of life

Beneath the cold night

I would rather close my eyes

 

Though we used to be so close to each other

None of my words reach you

As you leave now, with your back to me

We used to be so close to each other

But dusk is already a different colour

I wish, under this moonlight

For a peaceful slumber

 

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Preview:

 

“I want to protect my friends.”

From that feeling alone Kira and Alexandra face the enemy appearing before them to the best of their abilities.

However, the shots fired do not deliver that message.

All that exists between 2 guns pointed at each other is life, death and hatred.

Now the youngsters are destined once again to learn why the trigger is pulled.

 

Next, on MS Seed Girls, “Collapsing Land, Collapsing Heart”.

Shoot down the approaching menace, Gundam!

 

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Notes: As promised, here are the characteristics of the first configuration of Alex's Power-Armour:

 

Name: RX-78 NT1 Gundam.

 

Height: 1.8 meters. Weight: 72.5 kg.

 

Thrusters: 132 kg (Acceleration of 1.82 G, 500 km/h.). Apogee motors: 19.

 

Armament:

6 mm Vulcan Gun x 2, in the headpiece.
Beam Saber x 2, on the backpack.
9 mm pop-up Gatling Gun x 2, one hidden in each of the forearm.
Beam Rifle, handheld.
Standard Shield with Anti-Beam Coating, handheld.

 

Options:

360 mm Hyper-Bazooka, handheld.

10 mm Machine Gun, handheld.

Chobham Full Armour, ejectable (Weight: 90 kg, thrusters: 174 kg, acceleration: 1.93 G, 580 km/h.).

 

Here is the Gundam piloted by Kira in its basic configuration:

 

Name: Gat X-105 Strike Gundam.

 

Height: 17.72 meters. Weight: 64.8 tons.

 

Armament:

75 mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS "Igelstellung" x 2, in the head.

Assault knife "Armor Schneider" x 2, hip-storage, handheld.

 

Options:

Striker pack `Aile', air and space mobility configuration.

Striker pack `Launcher', long range weaponry configuration.

Striker pack `Sword', close range weaponry configuration.

Bazooka, handheld.

57 mm high-energy Beam Rifle, handheld.

 

Thank you to James Axelrad, Blitz12, Infinite Freedom, Zaton and Vampwriter for their reviews.

 

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