Gundam SEED Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hell Knows No Fury Like A Woman Scorned ❯ Survivors and Sacrifices ( Chapter 23 )

SailorStar9: A new chapter up and no review. You guys don't love me anymore. (Wails). Anyway, this is Chapter 23. Anyway, Auel dies in this and Merci retrieves his Heart Crystal. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Don't own, don't sue or I'll sink a SEED mode Kira after you. And no flames. Flames will be extinguished by a fire extinguisher or used to burn joss sticks.

Chapter 23: Survivors and Sacrifices

Back on the battlefield, the Minerva was still under attack.

“Tristan, Iodole, fire!” Arthur instructed. At his order, the two weapons fired at the former ORB military. The Minerva side cannon continued its assault.

“Additional ORB vessels approaching at 9 o'clock.” The radar officer reported.

“Arthur, prepare the anti-ship missiles for firing.” Talia instructed. “Have Rey and Lunamaria provide cover fire as well.”

“Yes madam!” Arthur replied.

Meanwhile, the ORB's fragmenting bullets continue to fire.

So it seems that they intend to surround us north of Crete. Talia noted. This isn't good. We'll get cornered even if we change our bearing.

On the side of the ship, both Rey and Lunamaria continued to fire at the incoming Murasames and Dagger Ls.

We can't retreat, so we have no choice but to break through. Talia mused.

“Hah! So you're green today?” Auel remarked as he burst out of the water after Shinn destroyed the Murasames with his cannons.

At that, Auel fired his shoulder lasers, forcing Shinn evade the attack. With his back to the water, Shinn fired his laser guns, only to have Auel change back into his Mobile Armor mode.

“I won't let such a thing…!” Auel hissed as he dived back into the sea. Up top, Shinn continued raining his shoulder cannons at Auel who simply dodged out of the way.

“That guy…” Shinn wondered.

“So, that guy was also…!” he realized that Auel was also one of the Extended.

“I'm getting sick of your face already!” Auel streamed as he burst out of the water, turning back into his Mobile Suit form.

At Auel's sudden attack, Shinn decelerated to evade it, crushing into the water in the process.

“I'm taking you down today!” Auel swore, brandishing his sword. Shinn counteracted with a laser sword of his own.

Back in the sky, Athrun was taking out the Murasames one by one until he came under Sting's attack. Turning into his Mobile Armor form, Athrun managed to avoid getting hit.

“Damnit!' Athrun cursed as he flew out of the way.

“Hey now, are you sleepwalking or something?” Sting mocked as he fired his laser gun.

“Stop running away!” he added, continuing his assault.

“Damnit!” Athrun cursed as he dodged Sting's attack.

Meanwhile, the Minerva's missiles managed to take out the rest of ORB's Mobile Suits.

Back on the Takemikazuchi…

“The Sokowadatsumi's missile launch tubes have been hit.” The weaponry officer reported. “The Kuramitsuha is moving forward. The target has changed its bearing to 240.”

“Hey, move the second squadron forward.” Yuna ordered. “We need to corner them more!”

“The Minerva's armaments are still functional.” Todaka told him. “We can't move our forces forward carelessly.”

“What are the Murasames squadrons doing?” Yuna demanded. “Why can't they take it out?”

“Real battles are different from the games you like so much.” Todaka rebuked. “Things won't be that easy.”

“Ignore their Mobile Suits.” Baba, the Murasame squad leader instructed. “Leave them to the Earth Alliance forces. We'll go after the Minerva.”

“Captain Baba!” one of his squad mates gasped.

“Everything will end if we can sink them!” Baba replied.

“Yes sir!” the rest of the pilots chorused and they flew in.

On the Minerva….

“Murasames incoming from our starboard. Count: 12.” Meyrin reported.

“Don't let them get near.” Talia ordered. “Shoot them down!”

“Yes madam!” the armament officer replied.

Baba let out a wry cry as he and his squad dived straight through the missile fire.

Lunamaria and Rey responded by firing their weapons at them.

Baba dodged the attacks, launching his missile at the ship.

The Minerva's array of missiles managed to destroy a couple of the Murasames, but not before getting hit by the Mobile Suits' rockets.

“Minerva!” Athrun gasped when he saw the ship's hull damaged along with Rey's ZAKU Phantom.

“I won't let you inflict any more damage!' Lunamaria hissed as she fired her weapon.

Baba then gasped when the rest of his squad was destroyed Athrun.

The two rallying opponents were about to face off with each other when Athrun's radar told him Sting was coming.

Ignoring Baba for now, Athrun turned into his Mobile Armor to avoid Sting's attack.

“I'm telling you to stop running away!” Sting hissed as he chased Athrun up into the sky.

In mid-air, Athrun suddenly turned by into his Mobile Suit form and fired at the Chaos.

“What about the Savior and the Impulse?” Talia asked.

“I'll take you down!” Sting swore, firing his laser gun at Athrun who simply dodged into the clouds to avoid the attack.

“They're currently battling the Chaos and Abyss!” Meyrin reported as Auel and Shinn decked it out on the water.

“I won't let such a thing…!” Auel exclaimed as he emerged from the water, firing his missiles at Shinn who merely flew back to avoid the attack.

“Let's go!” Baba told the remaining of his squad. “We'll get them this time!”

“Yes sir!” the rest of the squad replied and the rest of the Murasames dove in.

Both Athrun and Shinn gasped as the Murasames closed in.

“Captain!” Arthur told to Talia as the Murasames homed in on the ship.

“Engines to full, evade hard to port!” Talia instructed.

As the rest of his squad was gunned down, Baba let out a war cry as he flew straight for the Minerva.

Stopping short in front of the bridge, he was about to fire when his beam rifle was destroyed from above by Kira.

Whipping out his laser sword, Kira quickly disarmed the rest of the Murasames as Talia and Arthur looked on, stunned.

“Freedom!” Baba gasped.

“Kira!” Athrun gasped in shock as Epyon ZERO pulled in beside the Freedom.

“Former ORB forces, cease your combat operations immediately and pull back!” Merci ordered just as the Archangel fired a shot around the sea of the former ORB's vessels.

“Damnit!” Neo hissed.

“Sanc mustn't participate in a battle like this!” Merci added.

“Them again…!” Shinn hissed.

“You can't protect anything like this!” Merci continued. “Don't be manipulated by the Earth Alliance! Protect Sanc's ideals! What good is ORB's military if you can't do this? L6 still needs all of you!”

“Why do you…” Shinn hissed. “Spit out such idealistic nonsense… all the time!”

With a war cry, he attacked the Epyon ZERO.

“Shinn!” Athrun rebuked.

As the missiles closed in, Merci merely used the deflector wings on Epyon ZERO.

As the dust cloud settled, Kira flew in to attack Shinn.

“Kira!” Athrun rebuked.

“You too… don't fuck around with me!” Shinn hissed as Kira closed in, going into SEED mode in the process.

Kira stopped in his tracks as Shinn dodged his attack and whipping out his beam sabre.

“Stop it Kira!” Athrun rebuked as he flew in to intercept.

“Athrun!” Kira blinked.

“Didn't I tell you to stop doing things like this and return to Sanc?” Athrun reminded as the two best friends clashed.

“Damnit!” Sting hissed as he closed in.

“I don't know what's going on, but you're always causing confusion!” Auel added in the water.

“What are you doing Jona Roma?” Neo inquired. “Did you forget what you said earlier? Sink both ships!”

“Colonel Todaka!” Amagi turned to Todaka. “That's the Epyon; Milliardo-sama's Mobile Suit!”

“We have no authority.” Todaka replied.

“I know!” Jona stammered.

“The Minerva! Sink the Minerva!” he ordered. “All we have to do is sink that ship!”

“Pull back Kira!” Athrun remarked. “All your power does is create confusion on the battlefield!”

“Athrun!” Kira replied.

“I have you now, bastards!” Sting laughed as he flew in to attack Athrun and Kira, forcing the two to split.

The Extended then gasped as the Freedom appeared before him, slicing off the Chaos Gundam's arms and gunpods.

“Kira…!” Athrun hissed as the Chaos clashed into the sea.

“Captain!” Arthur gasped.

“Even if they don't have any intentions on antagonizing us, lives were lost on our ship due to their interference the last time.” Talia replied. “Therefore, we will be considering that ship an enemy vessel.”

“Yes madam!” the rest of the bridge crew replied.

“Stop it Kira!” Athrun rebuked as he fired between Kira and Sting.

“Where are you looking at dammit?” Auel hissed as he closed in on Shinn. Emerging from the ocean, he fired his shoulder lasers at the Impulse.

In response, Shinn turns around, allowing the Blast Silhouette take the brunt of the shot as he ejected it. As the Blast Silhouette exploded, Shinn used the smoke as a cover and threw his beam javelin at the Abyss Gundam's cockpit.

“What?” Auel gasped at the incoming weapon.

The beam javelin slashed into the cockpit, and the Abyss Gundam sank into the water before exploding.

At the explosion, Merci raised a hand from within the cockpit of Epyon ZERO as Chione manifested through the Peacecraft Princess and a glittering Heart Crystal encased in an energy bubble appeared into her hand.

“Auel!” Neo exclaimed as the monitor showed that they had lost the Extended.

“The Chaos has returned. Medical staff should standby on Deck 8.” The metallic announcer on the John Paul Jones reported. “Rescue team should prepare to dispatch. The Abyss was lost at bearing 1-0-1-8, Beta.”

“Minerva, launch the Force Silhouette!” Shinn instructed.

“Yes sir!” Meyrin replied. “Launching the Force Silhouette. Deuterion beam, irradiate!”

Shinn docked with the Force Silhouette pack and recharged the Impulse with the deuterion beam. He then took to the skies and attacked the Windam forces.

“All ORB forces should attack the Minerva!” Todaka instructed the remaining of Baba's squad. “I repeat, all ORB forces should attack the Minerva!”

Merci watched horrified as the battle raged on.

“All units in the squadron, follow me!” Baba instructed.

Yes sir!” the remaining Murasame pilots chorused.

“Stop it!” Merci screamed as she placed Epyon ZERO before the Murasame squad.

“Princess Peacecraft!” Baba gasped.

“Just what reason does ORB have for wanting to sink that ship? You mustn't attack it. You shouldn't attack something that isn't your enemy!” she added as Chione manifested through her.

“Princess Peacecraft… is it really her?” one of the pilots asked.

“But that's…” another replied.

“Get out of my way.” Baba ordered. “This is an order given to me… by the exiled ruler of our nation, Jona Roma Saran! In that case, that's the will of our nation! Then as soldiers of ORB, it is our duty to obey it!”

“You!” Merci gasped.

“No matter how difficult or disagreeable that path is, we must follow our orders!” Baba added. “Do you understand!?”

“But…!” Merci exclaimed.

“Please back off” Baba requested. “When we departed, we are already resigned to the fact that this is where we would die!”

“But that's…!” Merci protested.

“If you won't back off, I will have to use force to get rid you!” Baba warned.

Grabbing Epyon ZERO, he tossed it aside.

“Merci-san!” Murrue gasped.

“Merci!” Kira gaped.

“Please take a good look at our sorrow and determination!” Baba declared.

“Yes sir!” the rest of the Murasame pilots chorused as they dived towards the Minerva.

“Damn you!” Lunamaria hissed as the Murasames closed in, firing her beam cannon at them. The Murasame pilots merely dodged the attack.

“You guys!” Merci cried. “Have you forgotten the vow your families swore to Milliardo-sama?”

Her warning was unheeded as the Murasames fired.

“Lunamaria!” Rey gasped as his partner's Mobile Suit exploded.

“Onee-chan!” Meyrin called out as Arthur gasped in horror.

Back in the sky….

“Why you…!” Shinn hissed as he attacked the Murasames.

As Kira destroyed another Murasame, Athrun intercepted.

“Kira!” he rebuked.

With his wingmen gone, Baba continued his assault as Rey concentrated his fire on him.

Shinn fired his shots at Baba's Murasame to no avail as the pilot flew right towards the bridge.

“Engines at full, evade to port!” Talia ordered.

With a war cry, Baba performed a kamikaze attack by slamming into one of the gun turrets.

“The main cannon and starboard catapult have been hit!” the damage officer reported. A fire has started! Hurry and extinguish the flames! Only 40% of the CIWS are still active!”

“Lunamaria's unit has been totalled. It's being taken back!” Meyrin reported.

“We almost have them! Let's sink them!” Neo ordered.

“That's right! That's what we need to do!” Jona agreed. “As long as we can sink the Minerva…!”

“Minerva, launch the Sword Silhouette!” Shinn requested. “I'll chop up their forces!”

“Yes sir!” Meyrin replied as Shinn flew back to receive the Sword Silhouette.

Back in the sky, Kira and Athrun duelled… again.

“Athrun!” Kira yelled.

“The Earth Alliance is attacking us!” Athrun reminded him. “Are you trying to tell the Minerva to sink?”

“Why did you…?” Kira hissed.

“That's why I told you to go back!” Athrun told him. “Why do you keep doing this, despite saying that you don't want to fight?”

On board the Takemikazuchi…

“Alright, this ship will move up front as well.” Todaka commented.

At Amagi's and Jona's gasps, he instructed, “Engines, full speed ahead!”

“Yes sir!” Amagi added. “Engines, full speed ahead!”

“Engines, full speed ahead!” the engine officer repeated.

“Well, but…!' Jona objected.

“We're sinking the Minerva, right?” Todaka reminded him. “Then, we must go!”

Meanwhile, armed with the Sword Silhouette, Shinn proceeded to single-handedly destroy the ORB fleet.

“Stop it!” Merci cried.

“Merci-san!” Murrue called out after the Sanc Princess as Merci went after Shinn.

“Merci!” Kira gasped.

“Kira!” Athrun called out as his best friend went after his sister and taking off after him.

“You know what she said when she brought out Epyon ZERO?” Kira asked.

“Epyon?” Athrun gasped. “Then that means…”

“Yes.” Kira replied. “That's her grandfather's, Milliardo Peacecraft's, Mobile Suit and one of the two original Gundams with the ZERO System in it.”

Not waiting for Athrun's answer, he answered his own question, “She said that she's isn't her grandaunt, Relena Peacecraft, and that's why she will fight if she has to.”

“I understand… I understand what you're saying… but…!” Kira remarked. “But Merci is crying right now as we speak! She's crying because she didn't want things to go like this! Why can't you understand that!? But if you're going to say that this battle and the sacrifices made out there couldn't be helped…! If you're going to place all the blame on Merci and Sanc…! Are you going to say that and fight against those things Merci's trying to protect?”

“Wha… Kira…?” Athrun gasped.

“If that's the case, I'll defeat you!” Kira swore, going into SEED mode, slicing the Savior Gundam apart, leaving only the torso intact.

On the Minerva…

“Athrun-san!” Meyrin gasped.

At everyone's look, she explained, “Savior is…”

“An ORB carrier is approaching at 12 o'clock. Distance: 2000!” the radar officer reported. “Incoming missiles!”

“Evasive manoeuvres! Countermeasures!” Talia instructed.

At her command, the Minerva's fired its lasers at the Takemikazuchi.

“Just what is a carrier doing upfront?” she wondered.

Still in SEED mode, Kira attacked from above and destroyed Rey's right arm along with one of the Minerva's gun turrets.

“Stop it! Stop, Takemikazuchi!' Merci called out.

On the Takemikazuchi, the ship was being broken apart.

“You! What are you doing Todaka? At this rate…!” Jona demanded.

“Please evacuate, Jona-sama.” Todaka requested. “All hands, abandon ship!”

“All hands abandon ship!” the overhead announcer broadcast. “I repeat, all hands, abandon ship!”

“Stop, Takemikazuchi!” Merci called out as she flew in closer to the sinking ship.

On the ship's deck, Shinn fired his guns at Epyon ZERO, forcing Merci to dodge the attack.

“Peacecraft-hime, please back off!” one of the Baba's remaining squads requested as he moved in to protect Epyon ZERO, and getting destroyed in the process.

“Merci!” Kira flew in to cover his sister.

As the Takemikazuchi exploded, Todaka added, “I will carry out your order to sink the Minerva until the very end! I will take responsibility for all the vessels and soldiers that were lost today! I'm sure this will show the world how powerful ORB is!”

After throwing Jona against the wall and knocking him unconscious, Todaka added, “Go escort the supreme commander. All of you, abandon ship as well! This is an order! Not to protect Jona Roma, but to protect Sanc!”

“Yes sir!” the rest of the Takemikazuchi crew saluted.

“I'll stay behind with you.” Amagi offered.

“You will not.” Todaka objected.

“I will not listen!” Amagi was adamant.

“You will not!” Todaka rebuked.

“I will carry the burden of our past actions.” He added as the ship exploded. “You will carry the burden of our future!”

“No!” Amagi protested.

“If you already consider your life lost, then gather those who share our sentiments and go join the Archangel.” Todaka told him.

At Amagi's gasp, he continued as he pulled the vice-captain to his feet, “That will open a path for us someday.”

“Colonel Todaka…” Amagi took in a startled breath.

“I beg you, for the sake of myself and everyone who perished today!” Todaka pleaded. “I'm entrusting Peacecraft-hime to all of you. Fulfil my pledge to Herbert-sama and protect the Princess.”

“Now go!” he barked.

Merci could look on in grief as the Takemikazuchi sank

After destroying the rest of the Orb fleet, Shinn finally landed on the Takemikazuchi's deck and smashed the bridge, killing Todaka and destroying the ship.

Back on the John Paul Jones, Neo and his officers saluted the sinking ship.

In Epyon ZERO, Merci finally let out her sobs of despair.

On the floating lifeboats, the rest of the Takemikazuchi crew saluted their dead captain.

***************************************************************** ************

SailorStar9: Well, that's it for now.