Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED. If I did, I wouldn't be so slow in writing my stories and updating them.
Summary: This is an AU where our heroes lead very different lives and so do the villains, in a way.
Brief Report: Lewis Halberton had once been an admiral in the United Sol Alliance Space Defense Forces, but when the United Sol Alliance falls to the might Holy Empire of the Blue Cosmos he took his flagship, USS Menelaos, and made a blind space jump with the new hyper fold generators and simply vanished. Now he has returned with a crew of kids and misfits to plunder the Empire's vast star lanes.
"Pirates of the Stars"
Chapter One: "Encounter"
Begin Gundam!
HIS Faithful Watch, a Holy Watch-Class frigate escorting two Holy Warrior-Class Transports loaded with recently received tributes from the former territories of Equation Techno Union of Planets
The captain of the HIS Faithful Watch was sitting in his chair performing the normal duties of a frigate commander of the Holy Empire of the Blue Cosmos. Which was to say he was making sure that everyone that was on duty was performing those duties and those at rest where on standby. He was young, like all frigate commanders of the Blue Cosmos Imperial Fleet. He was also on his first solo sorties, meaning his ship was alone and escorting very valuable cargo. He knew though that there were several nearby destroyers escorting a Heavenly Guardian-Class Heavy Cruiser. He knew that only a North American-Class Cruiser could hope to challenge that kind of firepower alone or something heavier, but unlikely. The only fleet that had that kind of firepower that was left was the Star Samurai-Class Cruisers of the Unified Constitutional Kingdom of Orb, but the swift Shadow-Class Stealth Destroyers of the Federation of Atlantis carried special ordnance that could kill a larger ship with unsurpassed and ridicules ease. It was after he finished that train of thought he got the warning call from the Combat Information Center.
"CIC to Bridge."
"Go ahead CIC."
"Just spotted unknown vessel six hundred thousand kilometers out. Holding steady with parallel course to our own."
"Any idea what type of…"
"CONTACT LOST! REPEAT CONTACT LOST!"
"Sound Battle Stations, Level One!"
"Aye, aye sir!" responded the officer of the watch.
Klaxons wailed and sirens whined as the crew of the HIS Faithful Watch scrambled into battle readiness. Mobile armor and mobile suits were launched and a call made to the nearby Heavy Cruiser and escort. The two troop transports hauling millions in dollars of tribute also went to combat readiness and launched their few mobile armors and suits.
"CIC to bridge, contact was a United Alliance-Class Battleship. I thought that the Holy Royal Guard Fleet of the Imperial Emperor sank all the remaining ships of that class at the Battle of Glory."
"They…"
"Contact re-established! IT'S ONLY FORTY THOUSAND KILOMETERS AWAY! THEIR FIRING!"
40,000 kilometers off the starboard bow corner, 4 o'clock low of the Faithful Watch
A sleek, rust red-hulled ship brought its main batteries about and opened fire on the escort of two troop transports. The range was really with-in the firing range of the destroyer, but fleets rarely engaged at maximum ranges, because of the enemies' likelihood to evade the shots. The battlewagons and heavy hitters would often close to a fifth of their actual ranges give or take. Yet, if there were a carrier or two, they would fight at maximum range and hopefully sink the enemy with combined arms tactics.
Yet for this simple battle, the ship moved in close. Its eight triple barrel gun turrets, two forward, two back, top, and bottom swiveled and fired. Then the turrets realigned and fired again. The first salvo was to scattered the mobile suits and armor and spook the three ships. The second scored several blows to the transports, stopping them cold. Then the ship vanished from sight, engulfed in colored light and seemingly being stretched beyond its actual length of 600 meters.
Back with Faithful Watch"CIC to bridge, contact lost again… WHAT THE! CONTACT IS SEVEN HUNDRED KILOMETERS TO THE BOW!"
On the bridge, the young captain ordered a call for assistance from the nearby Heavenly Guardian-Class. It was his last order.
HIS Heavenly Guardian, the name sake vessel of her class of Heavy Cruisers
Captain Franklin Thomas was sitting in his captain's chair as he listened to a report about a sailor that had questioned about why he was in the Royal Imperial Fleet. The young man was now in the brig for openly questioning the will of the Holy Imperial Court and the Emperor. Such thoughts were traitorous and dealt with severely, but Captain Franklin knew that the Holy Imperial Court was actually split on the subject of conscription and the Emperor had fallen ill due to his age. So the whole thing was being reviewed at this time. Then his communications officer spoke up, interrupting the XO, Lieutenant Commander Al Da Flaga.
"Captain, a request for assistance has just been issued by the HIS Faithful Watch. They are reporting a least one or two battleships are attacking them."
"What class are those ships?" No one uses one or two battleships to attack one frigate.
"It's an United Alliance-Class Battleship sir and there appears to be at least two, possibly three of them attacking them with… Signal loss, but it sounded like the bridge took a direct hit."
"Captain if it is a battleship, especially an United Alliance-Class, that can only me one thing."
"Admiral Lewis Halberton, I thought he would have realized the folly of fighting the Empire and surrendered or died somewhere out there like a coward. Apparently he still has some fight left in him."
"Sir, we can not fight that class of ship alone, we need assistance or we will be sunk with absurd ease."
"Request aide from any nearby Imperial Battleships, inform them that it is in all likelihood that it is the USS Menelaos."
"Aye, aye Captain Thomas… This is the…"
Six hours later
"Captain Thomas, it's the Faithful Watch!"
It had taken four hours for three Royal Blue-Class Battleships to arrive. Far too late to help the two transports and the Faithful Watch which all three were now gutted wrecks, their mobile armors and suits floating as nothing more than debris. They weren't the only ones to arrive. The Zodiac Alliance of Free Terrans, or ZAFT had also arrived, only a full hour early after intercepting the transmission. Six ZAFT ships sat waiting for the Heavenly Guardian to move in with her reinforcements.
ZAFT Space Fleet officer, Captain Yzak Joule of the ship Voltaire, sat disgusted at the amount of time it took for help to arrive for the now dead crews of the three-gutted wrecks. He voiced these opinions openly to his superior, Admiral Ades.
"Sir, I can't believe they didn't come running! I mean if it were a ZAFT ship…"
"Yzak, peace, we know that, but I want to know why these three were in our space anyways."
"That's obvious sir! We need to beat them around again some more to make them stay out of our territory. They still think they can do whatever they what!"
"Calm now Yzak, I'm receiving a transmission."
"Yes sir."
The discussion was straight and to the point. Yet the admiral from the Holy Imperial Royal Fleet who commanded the gathered ships that now formed a small task force demanded that the ZAFT Space Fleet explain themselves. That had pissed Captain Joule off real bad. It was an open attack on ZAFT's Space Fleet's credibility and that ZAFT had sunk the three ships, but the argument ended when the rusty red-hulled ship reappeared and sank all three Royal Blue-Class battleships at ranges of less than 300 kilometers, practically point blank range.
A full-scale battle broke out and when it was over, the Heavenly Guardian was sitting on the Empire's side of the border with her original escort around her. The other ships in the make shift task force had been sunk. Not to surprising when the Voltaire was a Junius Seven-Class Battlecruiser and the Vesalius was a Battleship of her namesake class. Then battlewagon vs. a few disorganized cruisers, no contest. Captain Thomas reopened communications with the ZAFT force once the rusty red-hulled ship was gone and the fighting ended.
"Admiral Ades… At first we suspected the Menelaos, but she's not capable of such precision space jumps and Lower Level Holy Admiral Sanders had overstepped his authority. I apologize on behalf of the Empire for this action has slandered our Emperor."
"Apology accepted, but we know a little of that ship. It has been off and on plaguing our trade routes. We know its class and type, but as to who operates, all we know its pirates. The ship is indeed, though unfortunately, the Menelaos. I can only imagine that Admiral Halberton put up a good fight, but lost out to despair and insanity."
"I see… Many with-in the Empire disagreed with the advice given to the Emperor for going to war with the USA. Now we barely have half the strength we had before that war. Worse, it is that its differicult to maintain the fleet as large as it stands now. The Emperor has also openly said that it was sheer folly, a war that should never had happened."
"Now you know why, despite our problems with the USA, we did not go to war. They may have been a bit arrogant in their ways and seemed weak to us, but their military strength could not be denied. They trained far harder and worked diligently for their technology. Only fools underestimated them and their resolve."
"Indeed, but the Empire grows strong once more and soon they will have to submit to the will of the Emperor. Their rebellious days are nearly at an end."
The two commanders continued to converse, while they JOINTLY investigated the remains of the three ships that started quite a fuss and a large battle. They discussed the Menelaos' ability to perform highly precise space jumps and appear so close to the enemy and ready for battle. It was something that both sides would want and both commanders feared a war, one that would make the war between the United Sol Alliance and the Holy Empire of Blue Cosmos look like a skirmish. While elsewhere, another ship ran afoul of the Menelaos, but fought back.
Star Transport Ship STS William Gale, a transport ship owned by PLANT, the Production Lucrative Association of Nexus Ten
The William Gale was a Galactic Transporter-Class heavy merchant ship. It was owned and operated by a major union of businesses on the planet of Nexus Ten. The Galactic Transporter is about 1000 meters in length with a design that many said goes back to the old Liberty Ships of World War Two on Old Earth during the Old Calendar AD. Being a long-range space heavy merchant ship, the class was armed to the teeth and could go toe to toe with most destroyers and some light cruisers. The class usually has a crew of 190, but can be operated with a skeleton crew of as little as 40 or with a full crew of 340, plus additional personnel to give it a maximum of 390 to 400 crew, most being mobile armor and suit pilots and support personnel as well as gunners for the ships defenses. The class could also carry a total of 300 passengers at any time. The William Gale carried this reinforced full crew of 400 and a full passenger manifest of 300.
Bridge of the STS William Gale
The first volley of fire was very accurate and the ship's captain and second mate were both dead, luck in getting the latter as he had been at chow when the mess hall took a direct hit. Now Helmsmen Arnold Neumann tried almost in vein to maneuver the massive behemoth into a position to launch a counter attack. Another hit tore apart most of the aft hangers for the mobile suits, leaving only the bow hangers and catapults for the mobile armor. The mobile armor pilots launched their craft into the vast void of deep space and moved to engage in battle, but where caught in a massive barrage of Anti-Air and only a few escaped, including the son of a dead USA Ace pilot, Shinn Asuka.
Mobile Armor Squadron
Shinn Asuka and his fellow remaining pilots were a mix of mobile suit and mobile armor pilots. Shinn himself was an ace pilot of Mobile Suits. His surplus Zaku Phantom was scrap metal in the aft hanger. He only hoped that Chief Kojiro Murdoch hadn't been killed in the explosion of the aft hanger. The two had been together since Shinn's father had died on twentieth combat patrol as GAT-01A7 Strike Dagger pilot aboard, ironically, the USS Menelaos. The very same ship he was fighting now.
He watched as several Strike Daggers, the A8 variant came out with two machines he never thought he would see again. GAT-X105 Strike and GAT-X303 Aegis, these two were also painted a rusty red color, as were the Strike Daggers. Shinn knew that the TMA-40A Sun Rise mobile armor that was produced by PLANT would not be able to take on the A8 variant of the Strike Dagger, forget the more advance and armed and armored X-Numbers. He radioed the bridge as another volley from Menelaos tore even bigger holes into the William Gale's hull.
On the Bridge of the William Gale
Arnold heard what Shinn said and felt another impact to the ship. He knew the hull was just about scrap metal. He decided to try and negotiate an end to the battle and surrender his ship – since all the officers were dead – and keep what was left of the crew and all the passengers alive. He made the call and received a reply. He said he would surrender the ship in return for the safety of his crew. He heard that was acceptable and ordered the crew to abandon ship. Many were trapped, but the survivors saw that the attacking mobile suits were now helping with the evacuation of the ship.
Mobile Armor Squadron
The pilots all landed, but as soon as Shinn had landed and left his mobile armor, two pirates grabbed him and said that he was going to be staying a while longer. The rest of the mobile armor pilots were not harassed. Shinn was then dragged through the remains of his latest job and encountered Chief Murdoch and a few other former USA military men and a couple of the passengers of the ship. Both were female, but he knew the blonde haired girl from a job a while back. He remembered her name as Stellar Loussier. The two had actually been a couple and Shinn had the luck of being the first guy to not only kiss her, but to also be her first. Now she notice Shinn being brought over as a few other passengers and crew were rounded up and join the group.
Lifeboats of the William Gale
Helmsman Neumann heard how some of his crew and passengers had been rounded up, so he decided to go back for them. He told the pirates watching over the evacuation of the ship that he would not leave without the rest of his crew and passengers. He had both a duty and moral responsibility to them. He was permitted to stay as the lifeboats launched and left the area. The pirate crew of the Menelaos had kept their promise. They did not even try to make pursuit, let alone try and destroy the lifeboats for it was beneath them to do so.
Bridge of the Menelaos
Kira Yamato stepped forward with a grin a mile wide as he gave the report. All the downed mobile armor pilots had been rescued with no loss of life and put aboard lifeboats of the William Gale. Few of the mobile suit pilots lost their lives, as did a number of the crew, but no passengers were killed. The crew and pilots killed were not former military, just salary men and mercenaries.
His brown unkempt hair that he styled to mimic helmet came down just between and around his violet eyes, but do not cover his face. He wore a faded Volunteer Blue Uniform of the United Sol Alliance, but it lacked the tags and patches. It also lacked a right sleeve just below the elbow, but had a forearm bracer there that also covered his right hand. The left sleeve was still there, but had a forearm shield there with the hit of his light blade sticking out it. He had blue shin guards over his white trousers from the knees down and blue leggings over the lower third of that. He also wore light armor over his blue jacket covering his shoulders and chest area with separate armor from just above his waist down to his thighs where it was loose to permit freedom of leg movement. The armor pieces were blue to match his coat and white where they met his trousers. He also had a standard issue service side arm, caliber .45 high-velocity M7 Falcon pistol made by the Mustang Arms Manufacture on Earth.
Floating nearby Kira was Mirillia Haw. Mir or Millia, depending on who talked to her, was wearing the female version of the USA Volunteer Corps uniform. It had a hot pink jacket and black short skirt. She too had modified her uniform and had chosen to mimic Kira's design, which he had gotten the armor from his friend Tolle Koenig, who had died during the closing months of the Equation Techno Union's fight for survival, caught in the crossfire. Tolle had also been Mirillia's fiancé.
Though there were a few differences, such as Mir's uniform had a skirt and not trousers. Her skirt was split on the sides to allow more freedom of movement for her. She also wore a special cloth armor attachment that went to her knees and she had taken a blue shawl and attached it her middle armor and let it hang along her left side. She also wore an armored headset as she was the ship's go between for the ship's mobile complement and the command staff. Her light blue eyes held a lot of hope in them, but also a lot of mischief, especially when Kira was involved. Her short honey brown hair was well kept unlike her boyfriend and lover, Kira.
Sitting in his Captain's chair, former Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Lewis Halberton thought about the battle they had just come from and this most recent attack on shipping that was heading for the Empire. His blonde hair and mustache told that he was in his early forties. His Prussian blue eyes scanned his crew. Most were just kids, like Kira and Mir, but others were not. They were just as bad though, being misfits that they were. It was then that the bridge hatch opened and in came two guards with Arnold Neumann.
"Welcome aboard the good ship Menelaos. I'm Captain Lewis Halberton."
"And I'm his Second Mate, Kira Yamato."
"Helmsman First Class, Arnold Neumann. I wish to know why you had taken several of my crew and passengers hostage and why you attack my ship?"
"Where are your officers, surely they did not leave behind crew and passengers?"
"Dead, Captain Halberton. The bridge took an almost direct hit early on and the Second Mate was in the Mess Hall when it took a direct hit. As for the others, they were scattered about, but your fire found them all."
"Tis be a pity, right Kira?"
"Indeed sir, but I don't think anyone made mention of that when I checked over the losses the William Gale suffered," Kira double checked the list, "Nope, no mention of them in either the dead or the survivor listings."
"It happens, but as to your questions, your ship was hauling cargo bound for the Empire, you also more or less just happened to be in the same area as us, and we needed fresh crew members and supplies. You must remember that this ship is no longer a sanctioned ship of war, but now a major commerce raider that is unsanctioned. Most of my crew fits the term pirate to a 'T,' but that is real pirates, not the fictional ones that are portrayed as criminals. Most of my crew are really just homeless kids that needed something to help take their anger out on the Empire, so did the rest of us for that matter."
"Then why are you…"
"It's really simple when you look at it. There are several Imperial spies among your passengers, several rather well off sons and daughters from wealthy families, and finally a few that used to serve in the military. That's just how it is."
Neumann knew it was a lost cause to try and argue, but he would stay with his passengers and crews until they were released and then go back to work as a helmsman for PLANT. It was going to be a long trip for him and his crew and passengers.
Later that night, ship time
Kira was walking along. He hadn't seen Mir since throwing the spies into the brig. Captain Halberton was going to dump them off right on the doorsteps of the Holy Imperial Royal Fleet Headquarters on the planet of Cathedral. That would be a big blow to the pride of the Holy Imperial Military and the whole of the Holy Empire of the Blue Cosmos. The crew couldn't wait to inflict that kind of blow.
As Kira was passing where the hostages were being kept, he heard the distinct sound of two light blades colliding together in battle. He took off running and found one of the William Gale's crew fighting Mirillia in a duel. Behind the crewman was a young blonde hair girl. She had purple eyes, a shade darker than his own. Kira than saw the young man charge and Mirillia barely repulse his attack, but she lost her light blade in the process, Kira moved in at once and drew his own light blade. The two swords crashed together that a sound like lightening echoed throughout the ship. Kira forced his opponent back and the two went at it.
Awakened by the sound of two light blades meeting with great force and knowing only a handful had that kind power, Captain Halberton arrived to see a young man with raven hair and ruby eyes fighting his Second Mate. He knew that Kira's skill with a sword was almost unrivaled. The two crashed together and Halberton knew enough was enough that was when he saw the young blonde hair girl, Stellar Loussier. The young man seemed to be defending her. Halberton knew Kira well enough, but then he saw Mirillia behind Kira, missing her light blade. Something happened here and he wanted to know.
"Kira try not to kill or wound him too badly."
"SIR!"
Kira blocked another thrust. He had to admit that his opponent had training and skill, but Kira had used his light blade a lot more against enemies and had a trail of blood to prove it. Then as he parried another upward slash, Kira switched to the attack and brought his light blade back and thrust at his opponent.
Shinn parried the attack, but it turned out to be a feint. His opponent reeled back and thrust even faster than before. Then, as he was about to make contact with his violet light blade, he changed the attack and went with a horizontal slash and the light blade bit into Shinn. Shinn brought down his crimson light blade down and it bit into Kira's shoulder armor, but Shinn had put enough strength into the attack that it broke through the armor, but not enough to defeat his opponent, wound yes, but defeat him, no.
Kira, stinging with pain in his left shoulder whirled about and did an upward diagonal slash across his opponent's back. That did it and his opponent fell, defeat, but alive. Mirillia had retrieved her icy blue light blade during the fight after Halberton had issued his order to Kira. As Kira leaned to one side, feeling the burning sensation in his shoulder, she was at his side in a heartbeat. He leaned in and kissed Mirillia on the forehead.
Stellar was beside Shinn holding his head on her lap. Tears had formed her eyes and then she sensed a presence. She looked up to see a man in his forties taking Shinn's light blade.
"What happened here?" he asked.
"He wanted to take me to safety… I don't want to die…" she began to cry.
"We won't harm you, you have my word and we're care for his wounds," he stopped a moment, then continued, "You may stay by his side if that brings comfort to you."
All Stellar did was nod. Two crewmen attended to the wounds. At first look, they weren't too bad, but he would be feeling them soon. He had several minor cuts and Kira's two slash attacks. Shinn would not be a happy camper when he awakens.
As that went on Kira and Mirillia gave a quick report and were permitted to leave. Mirillia made a beeline for her quarters with Kira in tow. Once there, she attended to his wound and once that was done, the two spent a rather passion filled night. It was a joke of the Menelaos Pirates that Mirillia's last name was Yamato.
Okay, I bet you got a lot of questions. So ask someone else, because I ain't some teacher or professor. All right, damn! I hated when people give me the puppy dog look.
Okay, to note, this will be a Kira/Mirillia love story at the start. Affection will last, but they will move onto Lacus Clyne (Kira) and Dearka Elsman (Mir). Yes, there will be a Shiho/Yzak, Mu/Murrue, etc. But that's for later and for you to find out!
The Archangel will make an appearance, I promise. And once it does, it will take over the role. Also, take note that this is a PIRATE tale so yes there will be a lot of sword fights. Trust me you'll love this story or your money back! Oh wait! Your not paying, oh happy day! (Just kidding around, but seriously, no refunds.)
Also, only as I was writing this did I realize I have USS and USA. Kind of coincidental there. Not that I was actually trying to do anything there, it just happened and trust me, if I don't put this up, I'll never here the end of 'How can you be so political!' Among others. – Snort – I hate the way things are these days.