Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Your own tale of two mecha.
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Dusk Raven
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:24 am

Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

So, I've been working on a fanfiction for MSG - a tale of my own, in a world of my creation (though with inspiration and elements from others, of course). I like to write worlds, but not all of them come with stories. Thankfully, this one does.

Anyway, here's a little blurb before you start reading:

The year is 97 AS. Humanity has spread out to the planets of the solar system en masse, easing the burden on the overpopulated Earth. It has been 20 years since the Earth System Federation has united all of Earth under a single banner, and 7 years since it united all of the solar system. But peace is not to be had amongst humanity, for a revolution has arisen. Cybers - humans cybernetically enhanced to the point of near-perfection - have risen up against the ESF, believing themselves the future of humanity.

Simultaneously, away from the gravity of Earth, humans born with special powers are emerging. With enhanced empathy and sensory abilities, they are seen as aberrations by human and Cyber alike, but there are others who believe them to be humanity's next evolutionary step. In the face of persecution, the so-called "Newtypes" have banded together for protection.

Together, the three factions vie for dominance. The stakes - the future of humanity as a species.



Chapter 1 inside the spoiler tag:
Spoiler
“Sir, getting some strange readings on the sensors.”

“This close? Why didn’t they pick up sooner?”

“Unknown.”

“Unidentified vessels, identify yourselves and slow your descent!”

“They’re coming in fast!”

“Got visual... they look humanoid!”

“I repeat, you are entering restricted space, slow your descent and-“

“They’re opening fire!”

“Bring turrets online! Lock on and-“

“Sir, lock-on systems not functioning! There’s some sort of interference!”

“What?”

“They’re closing in!”

“Switch the turrets to manual!”

“What?!”

“You heard me, go to manua-“

*Sound of explosion, then silence*

-Excerpt recovered from black box of the command center of the military spaceport Dustax



The Dustax Disaster. Five mobile suits attacked a Federation supply depot with 7 battleships docked, and succeeded in destroying the station and severely damaging the ships docked there. It was the first deployment of mobile suits and their revolutionary Minovsky reactors, completely changing the nature of battle.

For over a decade, warfare had been completely computerized. Earth’s technology had become so advanced that AI drones were able to completely take over the roles of soldier and pilot, with reflexes, precision, coordination, and determination outpacing that of any human. With their military and technological advantage, the Earth united and engaged in a conquest of the entire solar system, subjugating by force those colonies which would not submit to Earth’s dominion.

For seven years, their domination was uncontested. Then the attack on Dustax Station occurred.

A radical sect known as the League of Cybernetic Humans had arisen, composed of members of a new breed of humanity, known as Cybers. With cybernetic enhancements to their brains, these Cybers were smarter and more efficient than normal humans. Under the Federation, they had suffered strict regulation and persecution, but now they rose up, with the mobile suit as their new weapon and the Minovsky Particles as their new defense. The ultimate in electronic countermeasures, the Minovsky Particles spewed from their reactors could jam all lock-ons, rendering AI drones useless and once again forcing humanity back onto the field of battle.

The league’s very next strike was against a massive prison complex, whose inmates were all lobotomized humans, turned into subhuman Cyber slaves for their crimes. In a swift strike, the League reprogrammed and freed the inmates, turning them into proper Cybers and causing their ranks to swell. Soon, they were engaged in open rebellion against the Federation, with the rallying cry of overthrowing an Earth-centric regime and providing a bright future for humanity in the form of cybernetic augmentation.

Meanwhile, in the colonies away from Earth, another evolution of humanity was beginning. Certain humans found that they had new, enhanced abilities, such as enhanced senses and empathic abilities. Some called these new powers psychic abilities, and those with these abilities were called Newtypes. Feared and shunned by the Federation, they would nonetheless find support and unity in each other and those who supported them…

The war between Cybers and humans has been raging for two years, but the war for humanity’s future is just beginning.




Friday, September 13, 97 AS

A slight shockwave rippled through the cylindrical cargo ship as the force that had transported it across the solar system expired. From the inside, it felt like a wave hitting a seagoing ship. How many of the crew and passengers had been on seaships enough to make the connection was unknown, given their distance from Earth. The ship, the Calypso Star, had been launched by an Urenbeck Catapult around Mars, propelling it at near-light speeds to a location in the Asteroid Belt, towards a waystation and colony called Icarus Station.

However, this was not to be an ordinary journey, as the ship suddenly found itself assailed by enemies.

Outside the Calypso Star, four mobile suits surrounded the ship, all Cyber Legionnaire models. Their stout forms were painted jet black with silver insignias, and between them they had three rifles and a bazooka aimed at the ship. The Legionnaires were somewhat stouter in proportions than a normal human, broad in body and with a small sensor node where its head would be, resembling a boxy, robotic eye.

Their leader hovered in front of the ship’s nose, leveling its bazooka at the bridge as its squadmates took a triangle formation around the ship. The pilot spoke in a deep voice through the radio: “Attention, cargo vessel. If you follow our instructions you will not be harmed. You are to open the doors to your cargo bays and jettison your storage containers, or otherwise allow us to inspect your cargo. Once we have departed with our salvage, you may proceed on course and recov- damn.”

He was interrupted by a communication from one of his squadmates, via the instantaneous transmissions which Cybers had at their disposal. Instantly, the message went out to the squad – “Incoming mobile suits!”

In less than a moment, a conversation had ensued between the squad:

“What!? Where!? “

“Likely from Icarus Station, sir!”

“How did they get here so fast?”

“They must have sent out an escort flight beforehand!”

“Doesn’t matter, everyone prepare for battle!”

“Two Longbows, two Commandos! 10 seconds to maximum firing range!”

“Ha, if they think they can take us on in equal numbers, they’re fools!”

As the leader issued silent thoughts to his squadmates, he opened up a channel to the incoming mobile suits. “Attention Icarus militia suits. You are outmatched. Withdraw immediately or be destroyed.”

As he spoke, his mobile suit maneuvered between the incoming Federation mobile suits and the Calypso Star – a position that would make firing at his mobile suit head-on a risky shot, as a near-miss would hit the civilian freighter. The other Legionaires aimed their rifles at the intruders.

They waited only three more seconds before opening fire.

The calculation skills and reflexes of the Cybers meant they could open fire at much greater ranges than mere humans could. Still, at that range, at hundreds of kilometers of distance in space, it was literally a shot in the dark, as the slightest change in trajectory of bullet or target could mean a miss.

The four Federation suits began firing thrusters, slowing their decent in preparation to match trajectory with the ship and the Legionnaires, in preparation for visual range – close-quarters battle as far as space was concerned. The Commando-model suits were mostly humanoid, resembling space suits painted in the grey and brown colors common to asteroid bases, rifle in hand and cannons mounted on their backpacks, resting on their shoulders. The Longbows were wider and stouter, with sensor node set into the headless torso, and twin Gatling guns in place of arms.

The squad tried their best to dodge the incoming fire. The Cybers knew that most of their bullets would be wasted, so they fired in short bursts. A bullet pierced the thigh of a Longbow. A Commando couldn’t dodge as well and received a burst in the chest.

The Legionnaire squad leader held his fire, wanting to save his rockets for when they most mattered. The moment came as the Longbows began to return fire, as the squad charged into near-visual range, and he fired a rocket, hitting one of the Longbows and destroying it in a soundless explosion.

But the return fire was just as brutal, for Gatling fire peppered the hull of one of the Legionnaires, hitting its rifle, shooting out its eye. “Main sensor node down! Ammo feed’s jammed!”

The battle was a blur. A Legionnaire dodged out of the way of a Commando’s fire only to run into another’s rockets, who in turn was shot from behind by another Legionnaire, cooking off ammo and disabling the reactor.

The half-blind Legionnaire charged the remaining Commando with heat axe drawn, chopping down and slicing the target’s rifle in two. The Legionnaire tried to follow through with another slash, but the Commando caught the axe’s hilt. They struggled for a moment before a burst of Gatling fire from the Longbow pierced the Legionnaire’s side and disabled it.

The Cyber commander noted this. “He’s good. Very good. Focus fire on the Longbow!”

Another Legionnaire placed itself between the Longbow and the Calypso, hoping the human pilot would hold its fire. The Longbow charged at an angle, trying to flank the Legionnaire, but the Cyber simply adjusted its position to keep itself between its foe and the civilian ship – a move the Longbow anticipated, firing a pair of rockets from its chest silo into the Legionnaire. The Cyber suit drifted to the side, rifle still firing, veering in an arc, two bullets piercing the aft section of the nearby Calypso.

The Legionnaire leader could hardly believe it – a squad of elite Cybers taken down so easily. “A pilot this good, assigned to the asteroid field?” He thought instantly. “Ha… the Earth bureaucrats don’t know what they’re missing.” Stowing its bazooka, his Legionnaire drew its axe at his command, and charged straight at the Longbow from behind. The Longbow turned ponderously, but its arm swung faster, gun firing to the side at the approaching suit. The Cyber suit jerked to the right, holding out its axe to graze the Longbow as they passed, slicing its active gun arm apart even as bullets grazed the Legionnaire’s armor. Now behind its foe once more, the Cyber darted back towards the Longbow, driving its axe into the Longbow’s back, nearly cleaving it in two.

The Cyber scarcely had time to rest, as at that moment he caught sight of the remaining Commando, charging at him and firing its shoulder cannons. The Legionnaire jerked to the side, but the rockets still hit its left arm and shredded it, just before it was tackled and grappled. The two suits struggled briefly before the Legionnaire’s remaining arm broke free and swung its axe down on the Commando, digging into its shoulder.

The Commando responded by firing its remaining shoulder cannon, point blank. The first shot went directly for the Legionnaire’s eye. The second clipped the bazooka.

In the next moment, the axe’s heat cooked off the Commando’s remaining ammo, starting a chain reaction that engulfed both mobile suits.

The light was visible from the bridge of the Calypso Star… moments before shrapnel and debris showered the ship. Particles the size of thimbles left fist-sized holes in the hull, to say nothing of the larger fragments. A piece of armor plating three meters long tore into the bridge, destroying it and all aboard, leaving the brow of the Calypso a mangled mess, as the ship drifted in space, surrounded by the debris of the battle.



Some distance away, another vessel waited. Thankfully for the survivors of the Calypso Star, an SOS was transmitting, and had just been received by a large transport ship named the Anubis. Its ominous name, ill-suited for a cargo ship, hinted at a past as a ship of war – a past which it seemed unable to escape.

In a modestly lit control room, the command staff of the Anubis were discussing the situation and their course of action. The rear section of the control room was slightly raised to give the captain’s chair a commanding view of the room, and in particular of the hologram in the center of the room in which the two ships were united.

The holographic display was projected from a circular table four meters wide in the middle of the room just in front of the raised section, with a matching platform on the ceiling above. Between the two, marking the edges of the display, a pair of perpendicular rings hung, with markings along their sides indicating degrees of angle. One ring was parallel with Earth’s orbital plane, and one of the two points where the rings crossed was angled towards the sun, giving onlookers a sense of direction, like a solar system compass. In the exact center, a green dot glowed, indicating their ship. Elsewhere in the display, slightly sunward, was a yellow dot, indicating the Calypso. A white dot somewhere edgeward indicated an asteroid. A yellow arrow at the edge of the display indicated the direction of off-screen Icarus Station.

Even the tiny dots, as small as a single grain of sand, floating in the void between the compass rings, couldn’t convey the emptiness and distance that outer space truly entailed.

Around the hologram display, sitting in chairs taken from nearby control panels or holding on to a handrail around the hologram projector, were a number of people attending the briefing. In front of the holograph, next to a chair normally reserved for the holograph operator, a tall, sturdily built man stood, putting leverage on the underside of the handrail with his arms to keep his feet pressed against the floor. One would not have guessed by his appearance that he was a spaceship captain, given his deeply tanned skin and obvious muscles. The tan was actually genetic, as he was of some sort of Latino descent, but the muscles were the result of long hours of exercise and a mind that was ever-wary of the toll zero gravity could take on the human body. What remained of his hair was white, and while his round face could hold quite a smile, right now his brow was furrowed in concern.

“Ten minutes ago, we picked up an SOS coming in from this ship, identifying it as the Calypso Star. The signal seems to be a standard automated message, and they haven’t answered our hails.”

The dark-haired woman sitting in the holograph operator’s seat pressed several buttons on her control panel, and the holograph changed to a cube, each face showing the same image – a live image of the Calypso, blending several spectrums so one could see all sides clearly, even the sides away from the sun. The ship was certainly not in good condition – it was spinning very slightly as it drifted, and it sported damage in several areas. Notable was a series of craters along its flank, as well as some rather horrific damage near its front, where its nose section was crushed and partially torn off.

The captain continued. “As you can see, the Calypso has suffered some damage, apparently in a skirmish between ESF and Cyber forces. We’re not sure whether the ship is even still functional, but since the damage is localized there should be survivors. Obviously, it’s our intention to help them. They seem to have been headed towards the same destination we are, so it won’t be much of a problem to alter our course to help them get to Icarus Station. We could come up alongside them and attach tow cables, but-” He turned his head to the woman in the chair. “Fusikita has another idea as to how to proceed.”

The young woman in the hologram operator’s chair stood up, hand on the railing. Fusikita was a lovely Japanese woman in her twenties, with piercing yet soft blue eyes and long black hair that was tied together to keep it from flowing too freely in zero gravity. When she spoke, it was in a reserved, quiet, yet resolute voice.

“Quite simply, we could use the Gundams to save the ship, whatever that entails. I know it’s not as large-scale as some of the other operations we’ve done, but any small act of kindness helps – anything that will improve the public’s perception of our organization and of Newtypes. However, Captain Rodriguez has raised several… issues with that plan.”

Rodriguez chuckled as Fusikita sat back in her chair. “It’s nothing that serious. It’s just… well, we do have to keep a low profile, as far as the Gundams and Newtypes are concerned. Each deployment’s a risk, even with the Minovsky Reactors. Fusikita and I already have the details worked out, but there’s still a risk of being exposed. And that’s why you all are here, as the tiebreakers in our little mission plan. Especially you-“ He glanced at the Gundam pilots in the room other than Fusikita “-The one’s who’ll be going out there.”

A young girl with messy black hair and clothing covering her entire body save for her face stared with wide black eyes at the image of the ruined Calpyso Star. “Well, if there’s people we can help, I’m all for it!”

Beside her, a young man with his blonde hair in a ponytail looked with stoic green eyes at the same image. His slightly muscular frame made him seem to tower over the scrawny pilot next to him. “Well, if Raven’s all for it, then I guess I am too. We’ll have to take care not to be detected by any other hostile forces, however.”

Across from them, a stocky but athletic brunette woman tossed her hair impatiently, glaring at the monitor through her glasses. “Whatever you say, Siegfried. I guess if it’s a rescue mission I won’t be needed, hmm?”

Fusikita looked over at the woman. “Quite right, Los. You’ll be staying with the Anubis. Your Gundam’s too heavily armed and I don’t want the survivors to think their under attack again. But you’ll be on standby in case something comes up.” She turned back to the center. “Raven, Siegfried, and I will launch immediately, set course for the Calypso Star, and attempt to establish contact. If nothing else, we can at least try to steer them back towards Icarus station. Otherwise, we’ll deal with the situation as it develops.”



Meanwhile, aboard the Calypso Star, most of the crew were either dead or locked into safety zones. It fell to a pair of individuals, caught outside the safe zones, to navigate the damaged ship and try to help however they could.

One was a member of the crew, a thin young man with brown hair that fell to his chin, and blue eyes that seemed to speak of loneliness. The other, a passenger in his late teens, had shorter dark brown hair, and a look of determination and severity upon him.

Together the two had been moving through the ship, jury-rigging bulkheads to open and making their way to engineering. Now, the two had to split up, but were connected by a pair of two-way radios they had found along their journey.

“Daniel? Try it now.” The crewmember spoke into the radio, as he floated near a bulkhead barring entrance to engineering. “Reset the pressure, and it should work.”

“It’s working, Alliston,” came the reply. “The gas is filtering out of engineering.”

“Excellent!” Alliston moved over to a nearby panel and pushed a button, and the bulkhead slowly slid upon, revealing a secure blast door. This too opened up, revealing a scene of utter disarray.

Bodies floated about in engineering, victims of the toxic gasses that had flooded the chamber. Chunks of debris and assorted objects followed, ricocheting off the walls and panels.

Alliston gulped at the sight and entered the room. “I’m in.”

“Should I come back to you?” Daniel’s reply came.

“Um… no, stay at the life-support systems, no telling if those gasses will come back in. Give me a second, and I can try and see what I can do from here.”

He set himself up at a panel near the reactor, one hand clutching a rung on the wall so he wouldn’t float away, and began tapping at the pad, checking the status of the ship’s systems.

Minutes passed.

“So, what are our options?” The two-way radio crackled as it floated beside the control panel where Alliston hovered. He reached his free hand to grab the radio before it could drift away, as he’d been done several times now in the lack of anything to fasten the radio to. He spoke with a grim look on his young face.

“Well, the good news is I think I can activate the engines, and set a course. The bad news is… once I do, Engineering is going to start filling up with gasses again, and I’m not sure how to fix it a second time.”

“Will it be enough to get to Icarus station safely?”

“The battle probably knocked us off course, and I don’t know enough about navigation to get us back on track… to say nothing of actually docking.”

“Well, we can’t keep drifting, can we? We have to do something…”

Alliston rested his head in his hands as he thought. “I know… let me think for a moment…”

A moment passed. “Alliston, do you have control over the bulkheads from where you are?”

Alliston stood at the ready. “Yeah, what do you have in mind?”

“I was wondering if you could get me access to the ventral cargo bay.”

Alliston’s face contorted in puzzlement. “What? …Uh, yeah, but why?”

“Just a hunch. There might be something in there that can help…”

“All right, but you’ll need that space suit we found earlier… that area’s been depressurized.”

“Understood.”

Alliston pushed off from the wall towards a different control panel across the engine room. “In the meantime, I’ll check the communications equipment, make sure someone out there knows we need help.”

Alliston checked to make sure the seat connected to the console was intact, then slid himself into position and buckled the straps to keep him in place. After a couple moments of working at the controls, he breathed a sigh of relief. Taking the radio in hand he said, “Good news, Daniel, the signal array is intact and transmitting an SOS. Let’s see if anyone’s listening.” He took a nearby headset and fitted it over his head.

A woman’s voice came over the radio: “-repeat, Calypso Star, do you read?”

After a moment’s hesitation: “Yes! This is the Calypso Star! We, uh, we got caught in a battle and the crossfire’s crippled us!” Alliston didn’t care who he was speaking to at the moment, so long as help was on the way. “Can you provide assistance?”

“That’s what we’re here for, Calypso. What’s your status?”

“Most of the crew is dead, I’m the only one left in engineering.” Alliston glanced at one of the bodies in the room. “I have control over the engines, but I can’t get a proper reading to correct our course to Icarus Station.”

“We’ll handle that, Calypso. We should be able to... stand by, Calypso.”

“Wait, what? What’s going on?” Alliston pressed a few more buttons, and was able to get a sensor reading of the outside. His next statement was into the two-way radio – “Daniel, we’ve got a problem.”



Outside the Calypso Star, two mobile suits hovered – one piloted by Fusikita, the other by Raven and Siegfried. Fusikita’s mobile suit was lithe and feminine in shape, with violet trim along its white frame. Its shape was more humanoid than most mobile suits, with a distinctive head where other suits would have a simple sensor node, with a V-shaped gold fin upon its brow. The other was a quadruped, a rarity amongst mobile suits, its leonine body painted blue with black trim. The former mobile suit was visibly unarmed, save for a sword. The latter had long daggerlike claws on its paws and a gatling gun deployed between its shoulders.

The two of them faced a Cyber mobile suit carrier, its twin-barrel shape heralding a squad of mobile suits that would doubtless follow.

“Attention mobile suit carrier!” Fusikita’s voice had not quite lost its calm, gentle tone, but the concern was evident to those who knew her. “We are engaged in peaceful rescue operations. Please withdraw!”

The response was as prompt as it was gruff. “The ship you are protecting has been designated a threat to LCH interests. If you attempt to defend it, we will fire on you.”

Even then, Legionnaires were launching from the carrier and flying towards the stricken cargo ship.

Aboard the ship, Alliston reached for the two-way radio. “Daniel, there’s a bunch of mobile suits heading towards the ship!”

The ship’s radio crackled. “Attention cargo ship,” the gruff voice said. “Jettison all your cargo at once or we will open fire!” Outside, no less than 8 mobile suits surrounded the ship, their weapons trained on the two mobile suits who could only stand by and watch.

“Do it,” Daniel said.

Alliston didn’t care how Daniel knew what was going on. He simply did as was commanded, starting with the ventral cargo hatch.

“All right,” the voice said, “Mare, Sanders, check out the-“

At that moment, as one of the Legionnaires moved in front of the opening hatch, a pure-white mobile suit lunged out, swords drawn, stabbing the legionnaire through the center.

“What the-?!” The Cyber mobile suits turned to face the new threat. “Open fire!”

Maneuvering its swords so that the impaled Legionnaire provided a shield, the white mobile suit pointed an arm and fired an underhand machine gun at one of the enemy mobile suits. Simultaneously, the two Newtype mobile suits sprang into action – Siegfried and Raven’s suit pounced on a bazooka-equipped Legionnaire, while Fusikita’s suit’s chest opened up and fired a beam of energy at another.

Alliston was shocked at the scene unfolding on the display screens he had pulled up. “Daniel, is that you in there?”

“Yes!” The white mobile suit wrenched its blades free and charged towards another Legionnaire, deftly dodging a burst of rifle fire. Meanwhile, Fusikita’s mobile suit drew its own blade and zigzagged towards another foe as Raven and Siegfried finished mauling their target. The remaining Legionnaires began to pull back, retreating to the safety of their carrier’s firing arc.

“Okay… I think we’re safe now.” Fusikita said over the radio. “Calypso, we’ll adjust your heading to Icarus Station, then you can engage your engines and make it the rest of the way.”

Alliston took a moment to reply, still in awe of the battle he had just witnessed. “R-roger that.”

Meanwhile, Fusikita spoke over the radio again, “Attention, unknown white mobile suit, do you read?”

There was no reply.

“Daniel?” Alliston said nervously.

There was only silence, as the mysterious white mobile suit hung motionless in space.



Author’s Notes:

Thus our story begins! I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far. Please comment if you have any questions or observations.

There was a gap of several months between starting this chapter and finishing it, so there may be a noticeable difference in writing styles. I’m not quite happy with my “new” writing style, but I’ll let you be the judge of its quality.
Dusk Raven
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:24 am

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Well, I had been waiting for a comment before I posted the next chapter, but it looks like it's not going to come. So, without further ado, I give you the second chapter:
Spoiler
The powers of Newtypes are poorly understood, even by the Newtypes themselves. What is clear is that they have enhanced powers of perception in all forms, especially perceiving the emotions of other people. This enhanced empathy can make them compassionate people, or alternatively make them masters of manipulation. Still others are driven mad by the sensations they feel which no one else can help them with.

Newtypes have been regarded with contempt by both the Federation and the League of Cybernetic Humans. Newtypes’ brains reject the implants that Cybers require, the Federation’s attempts to understand Newtypes’ powers have ended in failure, and many “Oldtypes” fear what they do not understand.

For decades, Newtypes have existed, but in sparse numbers and in seemingly isolated incidents. But in recent years, a group has emerged, called the Sphere Alliance. In this time of war, the Sphere Alliance holds the goal of peace and united amongst all branches of humanity – whether Cyber, Newtype, or natural. They are known to contain many Newtypes amongst their ranks, including their ad hoc leader Wolfram Schwarz. To Newtypes, they serve as a beacon of refuge amongst persecution.




Daniel regained consciousness to find himself in a pure-white room, lying down in a simple bed, with straps gently tying him down to ensure he didn’t float off. Curtains surrounded his bed, undrawn, and around him were several other beds, currently unoccupied. Looking around him, he saw a person in a white coat seated at the far end of the room.

Using his hands, he undid the straps that tied him down. “Hello?” He called out.

The person turned, a half-surprised, half-pleased look on her face. She looked to be of eastern decent, with brown eyes, cropped black hair, and tanned skin. “Easy,” She said. “You need to lie down. “

“Urgh… where am I?”

“You’re aboard the neutral ship Anubis. We recovered your mobile suit after the fight. How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts…” Daniel reached for his head, holding it as his eyes closed. “Last thing I remember is piloting that mobile suit, and… and…”

He opened his eyes, his expression grave. “I don’t remember anything before that.”



An hour later, several other individuals had joined Daniel in the medical bay. Fusikita and Rodriguez were present, along with a lanky man with unkempt sandy-blonde hair in an engineer’s uniform. The three of them, plus the doctor, were holding onto various walls for support in the null gravity, all looking at Daniel, who was sitting up in his bed.

“So,” Fusikita said, “You don’t remember who you are?”

“Not really,” Daniel replied and shaking his head. “I remember everything from when I was piloting the mobile suit, but nothing before. I know my name is Daniel, and… that’s about it.”

The doctor spoke up. “As far as I can tell, he hasn’t suffered any kind of concussion. But my guess is still that something happened while he was piloting that mobile suit. His speech and motor skills are fine, but memories are gone, for whatever reason.”

The captain turned to the engineer. “Mekken, you had a look at the mobile suit. What do you make of the control interface?”

Mekken frowned. “It definitely uses a Psycommu System of some sort, though the configuration is a little different from what we use. There could have been some sort of feedback from the system.”

“Psycommu system?” Daniel asked.

“It’s a system that allows pilots – specifically Newtypes – to control a mobile suit with their thoughts.”

“So that means I’m a Newtype…” Daniel looked down. “I don’t feel like a Newtype. Whatever that’s like.”

The doctor spoke again, “It’s possible whatever happened with the Psycommu System also affected your Newtype senses as well.”

Daniel sighed. After a long moment he asked, “Who are you people anyways?”

Fusikita took a moment before replying. “I’m Mina Fusikita, and these are Captain Rodriguez-“ She indicated with her hand, “Chief Engineer Mekken, and Doctor Chan. But that doesn’t really answer your question, does it? The truth is… this is a ship of the Sphere Alliance.”

“The Sphere Alliance?” Daniel’s eyes widened in recognition as a glimmer of recollection stirred in him. “Then you’re…?”

Fusikita smiled. “Newtypes, too? I am, and so is the doctor. There are many more like us on board. And if you want, you can join us, too.” She straightened up and made her way to the door. “Well, I’ll let you think it over. The doctor can help you with any information you need to make your decision. For now, there’s something I, the captain, and the chief engineer need to discuss.”



The three of them soon stood in the cargo bay of the Anubis, staring at the white mobile suit. Its features were humanoid, not unlike the two other bipedal mobile suits stored elsewhere in the bay. The resemblance was a tad too uncanny for Rodriguez.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this mobile suit,” he said, staring at it with a grave expression. “Any idea who designed it?”

Mekken shook his head. “It lacks any sort of identification, and it doesn’t have any of the hallmarks of any mobile suit manufacturer we know of. If anything, it looks like one of the Gundams. Almost.”

“The Psycommu system indicates this was designed for Newtypes. Who would build such a thing? And why ship it out here, in a civilian cargo ship? Why not ship it Earthward, where the fighting is?”

Fusikita spoke up, “If it was developed by a secret Federation division, they might have shipped it out here in secret, hoping to test its capabilities away from prying eyes Earthward.”

“Maybe. The unofficial position of the Federation is that Newtypes are abominations, so why would they develop a mobile suit that can only be used by them?”

“I don’t know.” Fusikita looked over to Rodriguez for a moment, before turning back to the machine. “Somebody in the Federation definitely knew about this. They arranged for Icarus to send a flight of mobile suits to protect the Calypso Star, after all.”

“And somebody with the Cybers knew as well. Why else would they send a whole carrier after a cargo ship?” Rodriguez sighed. “I have a feeling this won’t be the end of it. For now, it’s in our hands. I know what they say about not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but this seems too convenient a gift for us.”

“Hardly convenient,” Mekken said. “Look what it did to that poor kid.”

“Indeed,” Fusikita said.

The three stood in silence, watching as the various mechanics checked out the mobile suit’s systems, trying their best to decipher its secrets.



“You’ve made your decision?”

Fusikita stood near the airlock, a slight smile on her face as she faced Daniel. The airlock was connected to an umbilical from Icarus Station, and some of the crew were coming and going as Daniel looked on. He had on the clothes he’d been wearing under his space suit while piloting the mobile suit – jeans, a dark blue shirt, running shoes, and a dark grey hoodie.

“Well,” he said, “I have to check a few things first. We’re docked at Icarus Station, right? Is the ship I was on here as well?”

“The Calypso Star? Yes. They were able to arrive safely after we made the course corrections.”

“Then maybe there’s somebody over there that knows me.” Daniel made his way towards the airlock, careful not to push past Fusikita. “After that, maybe I’ll know where I belong, or maybe I’ll come back here.”

Fusikita smiled. “Good luck. We’ll be docked here for a few more days at least.”

Daniel merely nodded.



Daniel didn’t have far to travel in the docks at the end of the cylindrical Icarus Station. The Calypso Star had managed to pull in to one of the docks nearby, and its battered hull was easily visible from where Daniel was. He made his way to the base of the umbilical connecting to the Calypso Star, to find a dock worker station there.

“I’m sorry sir,” the mustached man said curtly, “This ship is undergoing repairs. Only crewmembers are allowed-“

He was interrupted by a call from within – “Daniel?”

Daniel looked further into the umbilical tube to see an unfamiliar young face smiling at him. “It’s all right, he’s with me.”

The mustached man seemed to consider the matter closed, and stepped aside to allow Daniel access. The young man, meanwhile, moved up the tube to meet Daniel. “I’m glad you’re all right! When your mobile-“

Daniel raised a hand to silence him, not wanting the crewmember to overhear. “Tell me about it on the way.” He moved into the tube, passing the young man. Daniel thought he remembered that voice… “Your name is… ugh, I forgot your name.”

The young man followed. “Alliston. Are you all right, Daniel?”

Once they were out of earshot, Daniel responded, “Not really. I don’t remember anything before piloting that mobile suit.

Alliston’s eyes widened. “Amnesia, huh?”

“Seems like it. The Anubis’ crew said the mobile suit’s interface might have done it.”

“The Anubis? So they’re the ones who helped us out… the lady I talked to over the radio wouldn’t say what ship they were from, just that they were from the Sphere Alliance.”

Daniel cursed himself for revealing information that should have stayed secret. Still, if he was going to trust anyone, Alliston seemed a good person to start with. “Do you know where my quarters are? I’m going to grab my things and see if they jog any memories.”

“I can check the passenger manifest… what’s your last name? Wait, do you even remember that?”

Daniel felt around in his pocket. “Fortunately, I had an ID on me. Last name is Laksy.

“Daniel Laksy…” Alliston consulted a wall computer terminal. “Aha! D10… right this way!”

As it turned out, Daniel had been flying third class, and had only a single suitcase to his credit. Daniel zipped it open, and a photo drifted out. Daniel seized it quickly and looked at it. It was a shot of a young woman about Daniel’s age, with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, a faint smile upon her lips.

It saddened Daniel to think that she had likely once meant a lot to him, and now meant next to nothing. He placed the photo back in the suitcase and looked through the rest of it. There wasn’t much except a couple changes of clothes, some money, and a few personal items, including a music player.

“All right, it’s not much, but it’s mine, and that’s what counts.” He took the suitcase and started to leave the room.

“Hey, where are you going to go?” Alliston followed him promptly.

“Going to go to the Anubis. They’ll take me in.”

“Really? Well, can I join you?”

Daniel looked back at Alliston in surprise as the two floated down the hallway.

“Well, most of the crew of the Calypso Star are dead, and… well, I don’t want to be stuck on a passenger ship all my life.” Alliston looked deadly serious. “I want to do something useful with my life, do something worthwhile… like what the people in Sphere are doing.”

Daniel nodded. “Well, we’ll see.”

They proceeded along in silence for a moment before Alliston asked, “Hey, how were you able to pilot that mobile suit all by yourself? Are you…?”

Daniel hesitated a moment before replying. “I’m a Newtype.”

Alliston’s eyes widened. “Wow! I’ve never met a Newtype before… at least, no one I knew was a Newtype. What’s it like?”

Daniel shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Either my senses were damaged by the same thing that took my memory, or my senses are pretty dull for a Newtype.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear-“

He was interrupted by a warning klaxon sounding from Icarus Station. “Attention, everyone. All combat personnel to their stations. This is not a drill.”



Daniel and Alliston hurried through the umbilical tunnel into the heart of the Anubis. Daniel seemed to know where he was going; Alliston was just following along, Daniel’s suitcase handle in his hand.

Soon they entered into the main cargo bay, where a heated discussion could be heard –

“-can’t launch the mobile suits, that’ll reveal us and drag us into the war!” A bronzed, muscled middle-aged man was speaking. Daniel recognized him as the captain, but to Alliston, all the faces were new and intimidating.

“If we don’t sortie,” A tall man with his hair in a ponytail said calmly, an excited-looking young woman beside him, “They’ll overpower the station, inspect all the ships, discover the mobile suits, and we’ll be revealed anyway.”

“Captain!” Daniel said. The bronzed man snapped his head about. “Permission to come aboard!”

“Granted,” he said.

“What’s going on?” Alliston asked.

“The Cybers from before have returned,” said a woman’s voice. Alliston turned to see a beautiful Japanese woman in a simple blue and black dress. “They’re demanding the station surrender immediately.”

“Looks like they’re finally trying to expand,” the captain said.

“Or they’re looking for that mobile suit,” Daniel said. “Are you planning on fighting them?”

“We may have no choice,” the woman said. She headed to a locker and pulled out a flight suit and began to put it on over her dress.

“I say we fight!” A brunette shouted from across the hanger, and even from the distance she would have looked fierce were it not for her glasses.

“I agree!” Daniel said. “I’ll go out, too!”

The Japanese woman looked with concern at Daniel. “Are you sure? The last time you piloted that machine-“

“What kind of odds are you facing out there?”

The captain spoke, “About nine mobile suits.”

“Yeah, I think you’ll need my help. Besides, it’s not like I have many memories to lose. You can just fill me in.”

“All right. You’ll launch first, your mobile suit is in the way anyway.”

It was then that Alliston took a look at the mobile suits in the cargo bay. He took a long look as the pilots scrambled to board, in awe of their size and potential power. It was only when an alarm klaxon sounded in the cargo bay that he scrambled out of the room before it was depressurized.



Outside, the Cyber Legionnaires had gathered, forming into squads and surrounding the port. 9 mobile suits floated in space, backed by a pair of carriers. Together they had Icarus Station’s mobile suit hanger covered, preventing the Federation mobile suits from taking off.

They weren’t expecting an attacker to come from one of the cargo ships docked behind them.

Daniel’s mobile suit went out first, sleek but deadly. It promptly drew its swords and charged at the nearest Legionnaire. Its target turned and dodged to the side, but Daniel slashed at it with one arm, slicing one arm off at the elbow, and followed through with another slash that ripped through its chest.

The next mobile suit to launch was piloted by the bespectacled brunette. “Berserk, launching!” She called out as her machine left the Anubis’ cargo bay. Her machine was heavyset with armor, sported a pair of cannons on its shoulders and a pair of heat axes in its hands. Its color was dark grey with white trim, save for the golden fins on its head. It promptly moved around to flank the Legionnaires, firing its shoulder cannons at seemingly random enemies.

By this time the Cybers had reacted, opening fire on Sphere’s mobile suits. Daniel’s mobile suit returned fire with its forearm machine guns while dodging to the side, while rifle fire impacted on the Berserk’s armor.

“Angel, launching!” Fusikita’s voice came over the radio as her mobile suit launched. Unlike before, her mobile suit was now equipped with a buckler and a battle rifle, and as she moved out of the cargo bay she fired single shots at the Legionnaires harassing her squadmates.

“Nemean, launching!” Raven’s voice heralded the release of her and Siegfried’s machine into the gulf of space. Deploying its claws and its gatling gun, it boosted forward, pouncing on an unfortunate Legionnaire, tearing away its rifle and then digging into its armor.

Despite their efforts, the Cybers were unrelenting in their assault. Their fire was accurate and precise. The Berserk charged at a Legionnaire only to receive a bazooka missile to the chest, but charged through the explosion and hacked both arms off its attacker, only to come under fire from another foe. The Angel took out the sensor node of another Legionnaire only to be forced to duck for cover behind the Anubis. The Nemean charged at another Legionnaire, but was caught in a crossfire, taking a shot to its shoulder joint and disabling one front leg.

It was then, as the odds seemed in favor of the Cybers, that another surprise came from the white mobile suit.

Daniel’s mobile suit suddenly began glowing with an ethereal blue energy, seeping from under its armor and coating its blades in a shining shell.

The mobile suit charged forth and bisected a Legionnaire with a scissor strike, moving with an unnatural speed. It dodged a burst of fire and darted towards another foe, stabbing it through the chest.

It was at this time that the Federation mobile suits began to launch from the hanger, adding their firepower to the battle. Another Legionnaire fell to the barrage of fire, as the Berserk twisted around to fire its shoulder cannons, the Angel popped out from behind cover, and the Nemean’s gatling gun laid down suppressive fire.

Four Legionnaires remained, two of them badly damaged. They began to pull back to their carriers, the two with functioning weapons laying down cover fire as they retreated.

A cheer could be heard over the radio. A message from Icarus Station came through – “unknown mobile suits… you have our thanks.”

“This is Angel of the Sphere Alliance,” Fusikita replied, “And we’re happy to be of service, in the cause of helping those in need.”

“Roger that, Angel… however, we would appreciate it if you and your ship finished your business and left the system. Out of gratitude, we won’t report you to Federation Headquarters.”

“Understood, Icarus.”

Alliston’s voice came over the radio, “Daniel, are you all right?”

Daniel’s mobile suit sheathed its swords, the blue glow fading. “I read you, Alliston. Don’t worry – I remember you.”
User avatar
Strike Wing
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:27 pm
Location: Celestial Being, Canadian Branch.

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Interesting first two episodes/ chapters, I like what I've read. Daniel is an interesting character, and so far, with the scenes of the Anubis crew, Fusikita and the Captain, seem to be the easiest to figure out. In terms of who their characters are, where as the other Gundam pilots tend to have brief moments. Hopefully we'll learn more about them, though what has been shown is also clear enough for the surface of their personalities. Just that Fusikita and Roderigez definitely shined more, along with Alliston and Daniel. Curious to see how the important characters are in the Cybers as well as the Federation.

And the Gundams seem pretty interesting too, and unique. Can tell there is osme 00 inspiration in this too, which I like. 00 being my fav series. :) Looking forward to the next installment. :)
"Ore ga...! Ore-tachi ga... -GUNDAM DA!!!!"
Dusk Raven
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:24 am

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Thank you for the input, I was beginning to think my work would go unnoticed. ^^;

Anyway, I hope to deliver. To be honest, part of the reason it took so long for me to update was because I actually stopped working on the story for a while, but now I've started progressing again. As a result, I now have the third chapter ready for posting.

I'm curious, where does the 00 influence show through? While I have seen it, I'm not quite certain what was influenced by it... unless you were talking about more than just the mecha.
Spoiler
During the expansion of the Earth System Federation, there were colonies that resisted being placed under Earth’s banner. None resisted more strongly than Mars. For a year they struggled, with many valiant men and women dying in the name of independence. But the Federation’s AI drones prevailed, and the Martian government was forced to capitulate seven years ago.

But this was not the end of it. A few Martian officers refused to accept the surrender, amongst them an ace pilot known as Ares, who’d become a legend during the war. With seemingly superhuman skill he was nearly able to match the drones in ability, and inspired hope in the hearts of the Martian people. The presence of his fighter craft, with its Spartan helmet insignia, was enough to turn the tide of more than one battle.

And in the end, it was Ares to whom the last remnants of Martian resistance gathered. Knowing full well they would be defeated, they opted for one last, heroic strike against a critical Federation base. A dozen craft, all bearing the Spartan helmet insignia, flew forth for a final strike. Though they were all shot down in the end, they managed to inflict severe damage upon the base.

The proclamation by Federation media that Ares had been killed in battle was enough to quell any further whispers of rebellion… for a time. Eventually, factions such as the Knights of Mars would give unity to the voices of dissent…




“Well,” Fusikita said, “Since you’re going to be staying with us, you should meet the other pilots.”

The black-haired, black-eyed young woman beamed. “I’m Raven! Just Raven.”

The well-built man with the ponytail said, more evenly, “I am Siegfried Hoenheim.”

The brunette with glasses said curtly, “I’m Los Katt.”

“And I’m Mina Fusikita.” The thus-named woman smiled. “But you already knew that.”

Daniel nodded at each person in turn. “Are you all Newtypes?”

“Mostly,” Siegfried said. “I would be termed a Cyber.”

“And yet you’re helping Sphere? Helping Newtypes?”

“I know, it seems odd. Suffice to say, I’m here for Raven’s sake. She’s extremely sensitive and requires an emotional anchor of sorts.”

Daniel nodded and didn’t inquire further.

Alliston floated in a corner of the room, seemingly unnoticed by the group. “Um… if it’s all right, I’d like to join you as well.”

Fusikita turned inquiring eyes to him. “Oh?”

“Well, as most of the crew of the Calpyso Star are gone, I’d be stuck in port for a while. I want to do something… and I want to pay you guys back for what you’ve done for me and the others on the Calypso Star.” Somehow, his reasoning seemed hollow to him, half-thought out, even though he wanted this more than he had anything else in a long time.

“Are you quite sure? We’re sure to be headed into danger, try as we might to avoid it. And as part of Sphere, you’d be labelled a terrorist by the Federation.”

Alliston nodded. “I understand. But still, this is something I have to do. And if you’re wondering what use I might be… I have some engineering skills I can put to use.”

Fusikita smiled. “Then welcome aboard. I’m sure Mekken will be glad to have another hand. We’ll be leaving in about 12 hours, so make your preparations before then.”

Alliston smiled in return. “Thank you.”



Meanwhile, in the cargo bay, Mekken and his crew were examining Daniel’s mobile suit as Captain Rodriguez looked on from a nearby balcony. “More and more that white mobile suit is looking like some kind of gift,” the captain said. “I don’t like it.”

“You don’t?” Mekken was situated inside the mobile suit’s cockpit, doing his best to examine the Psycommu System built into the headset without damaging it. “I think it’s a good thing… at least, if I could figure out what the deal with this mobile suit is.”

“Any explanation for that burst of energy and the glow we saw?”

“Captain, all I can tell you is that whoever built this thing knew more about Newtypes than we do. This thing runs off powers I didn’t know Newtypes had.”

The captain sighed.

A door nearby opened and Daniel and Alliston entered. “Fusikita said she approved of us coming aboard,” Daniel said. “But I believe you have the final say?”

The captain turned to face the two of them. “Both of you?”

“Well,” Alliston said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go, and I’d like to help if I can. I have some engineering experience, if that helps.”

“Well, you’re both welcome.” He reached out a hand, which Daniel and Alliston took turns shaking. “I’m Captain Manuel Rodriguez.”

“Daniel Laksy.” Daniel said.

“Alliston Black,” Alliston said in turn.

The captain gave them both a smile. “Welcome aboard. Daniel, you’re probably worn out from the battle, I’ll assign you some quarters so you can get some rest. Alliston, give Chief Engineer Mekken a hand, would you?” He gestured towards the mobile suits, currently fitted into partitioned booths in the walls. “We’ve got a lot of repair work to do.”

Alliston smiled, eager to be around the mobile suits. He took the railing of the balcony and propelled himself towards the cargo bay floor, alighting atop Daniel’s mobile suit. Mekken climbed out of the mobile suit’s cockpit and pushed off towards the other mobile suits, Alliston promptly following.

A few techs were servicing the other mobile suits. Mekken spoke and gestured to them. “The quadrupedal one is a TX Panthera model, one of five in existence. The others here are mobile suits of our own creation. GNDM-dash-one, if you want to be technical. We call them Gundams.”

He pointed at the sleeker, more feminine of the two. “That’s Fusikita’s Gundam, Angel. It’s a “Vanguard” model.” He pointed at the more heavyset Gundam, currently swarming with techs attempting to replace its damaged armor plating. “That’s Katt’s Gundam, Berserk, a “Sternguard” model. As you can see, we could use some help getting it in working order.”

“Of course,” Alliston said. He looked back at Daniel’s mobile suit. “What’ll we call that one?”

Mekken looked back. “I’m not sure. I guess it’s up to Daniel.”

Daniel was still there, holding on to the balcony’s railing, looking over his mobile suit.



Saturday, September 14, 97 AS



“Commander Morgan. Ensign Nava Mare, reporting as ordered.” A young woman with chin-length red hair stood at attention. Looking at her from across a tidy but packed desk was a short man with a thin mustache.

Vocal communications were oftentimes unnecessary amongst Cybers, but some preferred them to sending text to another Cyber’s implants. In Nava’s case, she rather liked her voice, so she preferred to use it whenever she was able.

Morgan seemed to share her views on vocal communication. “I imagine you know why you’re here.”

“Sir, I know it looks bad-“

A downside of vocal communication was that one could be interrupted.

“Twelve Legionnaires lost,” the officer said, “With only four Federation mobile suits destroyed, and no appreciable damage to the interlopers.” His gaze was not as harsh as Nava expected, however. “And I’m telling you, you did the right thing.”

“Sir?”

“Pulling out when your squad leader was killed. With only four mobile suits left, you managed to salvage what was left.” He smiled slightly. “War isn’t always a matter of kills and losses, Ensign. At the very least you were able to gather valuable intel on Sphere’s mobile suits, especially that prototype. Sure, we weren’t able to destroy it, but at least we know it won’t be in Federation hands. Sphere is as-yet neutral, and they may use that mobile suit to deal damage to Federation forces as well.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Now, what you’re actually here for is to receive your reassignment orders.” Before Nava could speak he continued, “Don’t worry, this isn’t a punishment. You’re being assigned to Mars, to Harrington Base. You’ll be our liaison to the Knights of Mars. They’re preparing for Operation Heraldry, and we’ll be preparing as well.” Nava could sense a data file being sent to her neural implants. “That is all. Dismissed.”

“Sir!”



Abandoned and forgotten. Such was the state of Harrington base, like many of the military based scattered throughout Mars. At least, that was the impression the current caretakers of the base wanted to give. Behind the barricaded doors, beneath the run-down roof, a massive complex sprawled, filled with machinery and personnel, preparing for the war effort. But these individuals served a war effort different from the Federation. For this once-abandoned base belonged to the Knights of Mars.

The Knights of Mars were a radical Martian nationalist group, considered terrorists by the Federation, and they were seemingly determined to earn that label. For years they had acted against the Federation, in isolated attacks against military targets or anything considered a display of Terran power. And now, they had allies in their fight in the form of the Cybers.

Nava Mare mused as her inspection took her through the facility, past the various munitions works and barracks. At last, when her tour was finished, she wound up in a lounge, where many soldiers were relaxing. She took a look around the room, ignoring a catcall from a packed table, and settled her eyes on a table where a lone soldier was sitting, a computer tablet in his hands.

She pulled up a chair opposite him and observed him. She recognized him as the pilot who would be at the head of Operation Heraldry, Sar Beris. He was a man in his mid-20s, with cropped blonde hair and a mature face, with green almond eyes that glanced up into Nava’s blue ones. “Can I help you, ensign?” His voice was strong but uncertain.

“I’m not on duty, you can call me Nava.” She smiled a disarming smile. “Whatcha’ doin’ here by yourself, Sar?”

He paused for a moment, seemingly unsure how to respond. “I’m just doing some reading,” he said, gesturing slightly with the tablet.

“What about?”

He glanced at the tablet. “The news, mostly. I can’t leave the base because I can’t risk being captured, so this is the only connection I have with what’s going on.”

“I see…” Nava frowned slightly. “So how come you aren’t hangin’ out with anyone else?”

“Well, I don’t make friends easily.”

“I dunno, you just made one pretty easily.” She smiled.

They both chuckled.

“But,” Nava said, “If you wanted quiet, you coulda’ just stayed in your quarters. Assuming you don’t have an obnoxious roommate.”

“You’re right. About the quarters, I mean.” Sar smiled faintly. “It’s hard to explain. I just like being around people, in a way.”

“Don’t worry, I understand.” She smiled in return.



The Anubis came out of slipspace close to Mars, the Urenbeck Catapult’s energy dissipating and gently rocking the ship. The red planet’s bright side shone on the monitors on the bridge, as Captain Rodriguez and Fusikita looked on. Though terraforming had long since begun on the red planet, much of its surface was still rust-red.

Elsewhere in the ship, Alliston and Mekken were working on the maintenance of the mobile suits in the cargo bay. Alliston was doing his best to learn the workings of mobile suits, or at least enough to repair them. The mysteries of the Psycommu Systems were still unknown to him, however – for he was too new to be trusted with such secrets.

At last Mekken said, “I think that’s enough for now. You’ve got the basics?”

“I think so,” Alliston answered uncertainly. He was curious about several things, the Psycommu systems included, but he decided not to voice his curiosity just yet.

Mekken smiled. “Good. Now go and do whatever it is you do in your spare time.”

Alliston smiled and prepared to kick off from the floor, but his eyes fell upon Daniel’s white mobile suit.

Mekken seemed to notice. “Wondering about that suit? So are the rest of us…”

Alliston looked towards Mekken in surprise. The chief engineer continued, “It’s been an enigma ever since it was brought on board. We didn’t build it, and no one seems to be able to pin a manufacturer on it. In fact, as far as our informants can tell, no one even seems to be looking for it – other than the Cybers, of course.”

Alliston thought for a moment. “You don’t suppose maybe it was… The Order, do you?”

Mekken’s face darkened for a moment, then turned to one of curiosity. “Hmm…”

The door to the hanger opened, and Fusikita emerged. Without a word she pushed off from the wall and gracefully floated towards Alliston and Mekken, before arresting her momentum by clutching a handhold when she reached where the pair was.

Alliston swiftly made a salute, incorrectly, which made Fusikita giggle softly. “You don’t need to salute to me, Alliston. I’m not the Captain.”

“But… you’re second-in-command of the Sphere Alliance. I… I don’t even know what rank that is.”

“It’s not a rank, per se.” Fusikita’s eyes looked into Alliston’s, and he found it hard to meet her gaze. When he did, he felt like she could stare straight into his soul. “It’s just the position I hold. You don’t need to be too formal around me.”

Alliston smiled. “Thanks. So, did you need to see Mekken about something?”

“Actually, I came to see you.”

“Really?” Alliston’s eyes widened in surprise. Mekken, meanwhile, smiled and pushed off the floor of the hanger, heading towards another mobile suit.

“Yeah. I wanted to thank you for joining us – and to tell you that you did a good job aboard the Calypso Star.”

Alliston blushed slightly. “Oh, I just… I…”

Fusikita smiled. “I can tell it must have taken a lot of courage to do what you did – to take action while the ship was in peril. Other people might have just hid and waited for someone to save them.”

“I’ll admit, the temptation was there. But I can’t take all the credit. Daniel helped me work up the courage to do something.”

Fusikita nodded. “He’s a kind soul. He may not let it show, but he has a good heart.”

“Where is he now?”

“I believe he and the others are playing a game of cards at the moment… it’s a pastime some of our crew indulge in from time to time.”



Elsewhere in the ship, in a small, modestly-lit room, the mobile suit pilots, sans Fusikita, were seated at a table. Los had a deck of cards in hand, and deftly dealt a pair of cards to each player in zero-G.

“I’m not quite sure how to play Blackjack,” Raven said.

“It’s not hard,” Los said. “You try to have the total value of your cards reach 21 without going over. Face cards are worth ten, aces worth one or eleven.”

“Why aren’t we playing poker again?”

“Because you cheat with your powers and Siegfried’s got too good of a poker face.”

“I can’t help it! You just get too excited when you’ve got a good hand!”

“Hmm,” Daniel said, holding an ace and a two in his hand. “I’ll take another card. So, what’s the plan? For the ship, I mean?” He duly received a seven.

“We’re going to meet our sister ship,” Siegfried said, “And meet up with others from the Sphere Alliance.”

“And while we’re there,” Raven said, “We can look through the colonies’ records and see if a match comes up for you, Daniel. You said you were from Mars?”

“Most likely,” Daniel replied. “That was where the Calypso Star was heading from.” He started to wonder what exactly they might find with regards to his records… hopefully, he thought, something that would lead him to the young woman in the picture he had.

Los spoke up as she dealt a card to Siegfried. “Hmm, isn’t the ESF military doing some big show out in Mars orbit?”

“Yes,” Siegfried replied. “The ESF wants to show that they’re still a powerful force despite the League of Cybernetic Humans’ efforts. They’re gathering their forces in a parade of sorts, if you will. I also hear that Sera Industries is unveiling some new type of mobile suit.”

“They probably want to one-up Excaliber’s Saber model,” Raven said. “From what I’ve heard, the spec-ops forces around Earth have been giving the Cybers a run for their money with the Sabers.”

Los chuckled. “I’d certainly like to see some of them in action.”

“Not much chance of that,” Siegfried said. “We’ll be staying back from the proceedings, but keeping an eye on them. Don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves.”

The door opened, and additional light spilled into the room as Alliston stuck his head in. “Hey, the show’s starting. The captain’s invited you all to the bridge to watch.”

“Already?” Los sighed. “I guess we’ll have to finish this game later. Let’s see what the Federation’s got.”



The ostentatious display of military power, or the “Federal Military Review” as the authorities called it, was quite a sight if nothing else. Countless mobile suits were arrayed in orbit, positioned with their carriers and a few battlecruisers to guard the station at the top of the orbital elevator leading to the surface. Even as onlookers watched, more ships were coming in – a civilian transport delivering supplies, a carrier incoming from Earth.

The different models of mobile suit could be seen – the humanoid Commandos and tank-bodied Longbows. Maredyne Industries’ Clydesdale and Pegasus models were present, the former bulky and durable, the latter with upper bodies like that of aeroplanes. Lastly, the elite Sabers were present, humanoid with fin-shaped sensor nodes and thruster packs on their backs which taking the shape of wings that gave them a demonic appearance.

All were present to show the power of the Earth System Federation. It seemed ludicrous that anyone would try a direct attack on such a powerful gathering of military power.

But Operation Heraldry was about to begin.



Mobile suits were complex to operate. In order to have the full range of motion a humanoid body had to offer, two pilots were usually required. The most common control system involved a pilot loaded into a full-body sensor suit which recorded their motions and translated them into motions for the mobile suit. A co-pilot sat at a more traditional control console, handling the various functions of the suit that required buttons, levers, or the like, such as thrusters, communications, or body-mounted weapons. Cybers and Newtypes, however, could handle mobile suits by directly plugging into the mobile suit’s computer, whether through implants or a Psycommu system.

While Nava was perfectly capable of piloting a Legionnaire on her own, she was currently strapped into the co-pilot’s seat of a mobile suit, with Sar in the motion suit in front of her. Around them, monitor’s displayed their surroundings, although their view was limited by the fact that their mobile suit was in a cargo container.

“Power levels stable,” Nava said. “Communication lines are open. It’s time.”

Sar then began to speak. Across the entire military review – and to all those whose news monitors were tuned in to the proceedings – his voice was heard.

“People of Mars,” he said, “For too long have we felt the shame of foreign rule. For seven years, the Earth System Federation has ruled Mars for their own interests, for the benefit of the political and corporate elite, while the voices of the people of Mars go unheard. They have made Mars’ economy dependent on supplies from Earth, and taxed these supplies heavily, while leeching precious resources from our red world.

“And now, they have taxed and drafted our people for a war to protect themselves, a war that does not concern us… until now! Fellow Martians, now is the time to rise up against this oppression! To the Earth Federation, we say this – Mars declares its independence!

“I, Ares of Mars, declare it so!”
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Strike Wing
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:27 pm
Location: Celestial Being, Canadian Branch.

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Well I find not a lot of people reply to stories here unless it's Seed/ Destiny fanfiction, from what I've noticed anyways. Hence why I don't believe I'll get many comments on my own Gundam story. Almost finished writing it though, got a few more pages at the very least... though the most I look at it, looks like I'll have to add some. But I'm getting off topic here, sorry. lol

There's nothing wrong with taking a while to get a story done, unless you are doing it professional and have a deadline. So that's cool, and glad to hear you got the muse back to write again. Happens to the best of us though, writer's block sneaks in once in a while and ya don't feel like writing. Just takes time to get through some days. :3

And the 00 influence, well the Sphere Alliance kinda gives me a a 00 kind of feel to be honest. Same with the Mobile Suits to an extent, and their actions so far. It's not a big influence, but to me it kinda has that feeling more or less. So that's one reason i was drawn to the story and to keep reading. :3

Am curious if the AS calender stands for "Anno Stellarum"? Friend of mine I showed this story, (Who isn't on the the forums though), was curious about it too.

Chapter 3 was pretty good, got a little more of Alliston and it was a little odd that they accepted Alliston on board so readily though. Without a background check at least, felt there could of been a small scene of that with Rodriguez and Fusikita at the computer or something. But it's not a big issue though, just mentioning a critique. :) Am wondering what they will call Daniel's White Mobile Suit too. Fusikita does seem to be very trusting and trust worthy though, so I guess that might be one reason for accepting Alliston. Still, hoping that'll be expanded on later as well, and his thoughts about his request to join feeling half-hearted so-to-speak, does make me wonder about him too... Also the scenes with Nava and Sar were interesting, though felt it could of used a little more, like expanding on the friendship scene a bit. So am hoping that will be done in the proceeding chapters, though the reveal of Sar was unexpected. He did give a feeling of importance, especially with his line about if he left the base he'd be captured. Looking forward to the next battle and operation Heraldry. Good luck. :)
"Ore ga...! Ore-tachi ga... -GUNDAM DA!!!!"
Dusk Raven
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:24 am

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Once again, thanks for your input, it's pretty good feedback, and I wanted to respond to just a couple points:
Strike Wing wrote:Am curious if the AS calender stands for "Anno Stellarum"? Friend of mine I showed this story, (Who isn't on the the forums though), was curious about it too.
Yep, it does. "Year of the Stars" in Latin.
Fusikita does seem to be very trusting and trust worthy though, so I guess that might be one reason for accepting Alliston. Still, hoping that'll be expanded on later as well, and his thoughts about his request to join feeling half-hearted so-to-speak, does make me wonder about him too...
It's not so much about the request being half-hearted, than it is that he can't really seem to justify joining. He wants to, but he's hard to put into words.
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Strike Wing
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:27 pm
Location: Celestial Being, Canadian Branch.

Re: Mobile Suit Gundam - Anno Stellarum

Dusk Raven wrote:Once again, thanks for your input, it's pretty good feedback, and I wanted to respond to just a couple points:
Strike Wing wrote:Am curious if the AS calender stands for "Anno Stellarum"? Friend of mine I showed this story, (Who isn't on the the forums though), was curious about it too.
Yep, it does. "Year of the Stars" in Latin.
Fusikita does seem to be very trusting and trust worthy though, so I guess that might be one reason for accepting Alliston. Still, hoping that'll be expanded on later as well, and his thoughts about his request to join feeling half-hearted so-to-speak, does make me wonder about him too...
It's not so much about the request being half-hearted, than it is that he can't really seem to justify joining. He wants to, but he's hard to put into words.
Ah okay, thanks. Didn't know it was Latin. XD That's cool though, I like it. :)

Hmmm, I see, I see. That sounds like it will play into something later, or at the very least, Alliston will have done something to hopefully make him feel that it is justified to be with them. Assuming it has to do with the Gundams, maybe. Still looking forward to the next installment. :)
"Ore ga...! Ore-tachi ga... -GUNDAM DA!!!!"
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