Kaguya Island—one of the many jewels forming the Orb Union. It housed the Mass Driver facility, a strategic prize the Earth Alliance coveted above all others. Now, the Archangel sat atop that very facility, poised for its return to the stars.
Two days had passed since we decimated the Alliance's invasion force. True to our promise to Uzumi, the day had come to take the fight into space.
Our combat roster remained as we had discussed over breakfast. The Archangel would carry the core strike team: my Glowsavior, Lemon's Weissavior, Cornelia's Rapiecage, Kira's Freedom, Mu's Strike, and Dearka's Buster. Supporting them was a small complement of Megillots and a handful of W-Series androids acting as reserve pilots.
Following us via the Mass Driver was the Kusanagi, carrying Cagalli, Athrun, and Kisaka. Their main firepower consisted solely of the Justice; the rest of their hangar was packed to the brim with Megillots.
Notably, the Strike Rouge from the original history was nowhere to be seen. It was the right call; Cagalli, who had received almost no formal mobile suit combat training, had no business on the front lines of a modern war.
As for me? My existence was practically defined by combat. If anything, I was the undisputed heavy hitter of this entire fleet.
"Axel-kun... I leave ZAFT, and the fate of the stars, in your hands."
Uzumi Nara Athha's voice resonated through the bridge, his face projected on the main monitor.
"Rest easy," I replied. "As long as Shadow Mirror is on the move, you have nothing to fear. I'm more concerned about the Alliance taking another shot at Orb the moment our backs are turned."
"I am aware. Should the need arise, we will rely on Echidna-san's strength."
As planned, Echidna would remain behind to bolster Orb's defenses. Beyond just the Alliance, I wanted her there as a deterrent against internal threats. Even if the Seiran family had seen our power during the battle offshore, they were exactly the type of snakes to try something the moment the "demons" had left the nest.
"Captain, thirty seconds to launch," Sai announced, his voice steady.
"Then may the protection of Haumea be with you all," Uzumi said with a final nod.
"Thank you, Lord Uzumi," Murrue replied, offering a crisp salute.
The countdown began.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... Launch!"
As the count hit zero, the Mass Driver's electromagnetic rails roared to life. The Archangel was seized by a colossal force, pinning us into our seats as the ship shed the shackles of gravity. We pierced the atmosphere in a streak of light, surging toward the black void.
Come to think of it, I mused as the sky deepened into indigo, we didn't use the plasma boosters from the original timeline. I'd always had a bit of a soft spot for the look of those external tanks, but with a Mass Driver this powerful, they were redundant.
"We're back," I muttered, gazing out at the Earth sprawling below us.
My journey in this SEED world had begun at Heliopolis; to me, being in orbit felt more like coming home than being on the ground. The Earth was a breathtaking marble of sapphire and cloud... though that didn't mean I bought into the "for a blue and pure world" nonsense of the extremists.
"So... this is Earth," Cornelia whispered. Her eyes were wide, fixed on the monitor. "It is truly magnificent."
It was a fair reaction. In the world of Code Geass, space exploration was almost non-existent. It was also why the Damocles—the ultimate threat of her world—would be nothing more than target practice for Shadow Mirror's technology.
"How long until the Kusanagi rendezvous with us?" Lemon asked.
"They have to conduct post-launch inspections on the Mass Driver," Murrue explained. "Likely tomorrow."
Lemon let out a small, weary laugh. "A whole day of waiting? Isn't that a bit sluggish?"
"This is the pinnacle of technology for this world, Lemon. Try not to be too demanding," Murrue teased back.
Watching them trade barbs, an idea struck me.
"Hey, Dearka. Want to go a round against a W-Series?"
"Huh? Me?"
"You were the one complaining at breakfast about me comparing their skills to ZAFT Red Coats. We've got nothing but time until the Kusanagi gets here. Why not test the theory?"
After our meeting yesterday, Dearka's pride had clearly been stung by the suggestion that mass-produced androids could match ZAFT's elite. He'd been itching for a fight, but we'd been too busy with launch prep. Now was the perfect window. Besides, the Archangel crew needed to see what our units were actually capable of. During the battle for Orb, they'd been submerged in Sea Lions; they hadn't seen the W-Series in their element.
"Heh. Fine by me," Dearka said, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "I've been wanting to see if these 'pride of the Shadow Mirror' machines are all talk."
"Lemon, what should we field?" I asked. "For space-use, we have the Cosmolion, Guarlion, Guarlion Custom, MP Gespenst Mk-II, Al-Eins, and the MP Ashsavior."
"Let's go with the MP Gespenst Mk-II," Lemon decided. "It's our most common unit, and it has the beam weaponry to punch through Phase Shift armor."
"A Gespenst?" Dearka scoffed. "Sounds like a ghost. You're fine with using your most basic grunt?"
I should probably tell him that our 'grunt' has specs that rival or exceed the Buster, I thought. But he seems confident enough.
"Murrue?"
"Go ahead," she said. "We're on high alert anyway, so having units deployed for 'training' isn't a bad idea."
We set the parameters immediately: live rounds were replaced with dummy loads, and beam outputs were dialed down to the minimum. The Archangel's tactical computer would calculate the "damage" and determine the victor.
"Mock battle, start!" Murrue's voice crackled over the comms.
Dearka made the first move. The Buster's right shoulder missile pod belched fire, sending a swarm toward the black-and-forest-green Gespenst. The W-Series pilot didn't flinch. The Gespenst's own Split Missile containers popped open, releasing multi-stage warheads that intercepted Dearka's volley in a series of bright, harmless flashes.
Using the explosion as a screen, Dearka pivoted, firing a spread from his 350mm gun launcher. It was a textbook maneuver—striking through the blind spot of the interception—but the Gespenst was already gone.
"Impressive," Cornelia noted from the bridge. "It read the Buster's intent perfectly."
"The original W-Series might have been fooled," Lemon added proudly, "but with the Aerogater technology upgrades, their processing speed is on a different level."
"Watch out!" Kira shouted.
Because the Gespenst had pushed its thrusters to the limit, it had closed the distance far faster than Dearka anticipated. By the time he realized the threat, the Gespenst was already swinging its Neo Plasma Cutter in a shimmering arc.
Dearka proved his "Red Coat" status, however. He jerked the Buster back, narrowly avoiding a lethal blow, and countered with a point-blank missile burst from his left shoulder.
"Oof, he took a hit," Mu muttered.
On the monitor, the computer flagged the Buster's right shoulder as damaged. However, the Gespenst hadn't escaped unscathed; its torso armor showed a significant 'hit' from the point-blank missiles.
"About even so far," I observed.
The Gespenst had more raw armor damage, but it was superficial. The Buster's hit was more critical; damaging the shoulder joint meant Dearka would have trouble aiming his combined long-range cannons.
Sensing the disadvantage in close quarters, Dearka used his anti-armor shotgun to spray a wide area, forcing the Gespenst back and allowing him to reset the range.
"A wise choice for a long-range support unit," I said. "But..."
The Gespenst dodged the spray with feline agility. Then, three blade-like projectiles detached from its back. They spun at high speeds, weaving through the Buster's return fire with autonomous precision.
"It's a draw!"
The 'Slash Rippers' slammed into the Buster's cockpit area at the exact moment a beam from Dearka's rifle pierced the Gespenst's center mass. The monitors flashed red, signaling a double-KO.
"Axel, what were those things?" Mu asked, his voice laced with concern. "With N-Jammers active, remote-guided weapons shouldn't work."
"Those are Slash Rippers," I explained. "Think of them as weapons with their own onboard AI. They don't need a remote link; they're pre-programmed to hunt the target's heat signature and movement patterns."
"Your world's technology is terrifying," Mu sighed.
We waited for Dearka to return to the hangar. When he finally trudged onto the deck, Miriallia asked him how it went.
"They're tough! I'll give 'em that!" he barked, his face red with a mix of exertion and embarrassment. "It was a draw, alright? A draw! I didn't lose! Next time, I'm taking it down!"
The rest of the day passed quietly. Cornelia took her Rapiecage out for a spin to adjust to the lack of gravity, and for a brief moment, the looming shadow of the war felt very far away.
Axel Almar - Status
Level: 37
Spirit Commands: Accel (4), Effort (8), Focus (16), Direct (30), Zeal (32), Love (48)
Skills: Psychokinesis LV.10, Attacker, Gunfight LV.9, Infight LV.9, Spirit Limit Break
Kills: 294
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 chapters of this story on Patreon.
If you're enjoying it and want to read ahead, feel free to check them out here:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thanks a lot for your support, it really helps me keep going.
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"