Leon let out a huge yawn as he stretched his arms. �Good morning��
�It�s mid-afternoon. I don�t believe you�how can you sleep in when we have a life-threatening mission ahead of us?� Vale asked.
�Bah, you worry t��
�Don�t say it! I�ll just shut up.�
Leon and Vale walked over to the underground hangar, where the now-complete Prophecy and Shrike was stored. Leon looked up at the Prophecy and sighed. He recalled a test run of the FUNNEL system that Erica had him do last night.
-------------------
Last night�
Leon was sitting inside of the Prophecy�s cockpit, with Erica instructing him outside of it.
�Alright Leon, according to these blueprints, this �FUNNEL� system is voice activated.� said Erica.
�So�what the hell do I say?� Leon asked.
�I don�t know, say��go� or something.�
�Er�go�?�
�You need to turn on the system first��
�Ugh, whatever.� Leon said as he activated the Prophecy�s operating system. The words Gunner United Neurological Drive Advanced Mentality flashed on the screen. �Looks like Erica installed a new operating system. Now, how the heck do I use these �FUNNEL� things?�
�Just push the blue button on the left joystick of your linear seat.�
�Ah, there we go. Thanks Erica.� Leon pushed the blue button and the words FUlly Neurological NEmesis Lance appeared on the cockpit�s screen.
�Now, give a command. Say� �FUNNELs, come out!��
�FUNNELs, come out!� The Prophecy�s backpacks opened up, releasing 12 small, blade-like pods. �Wow, pretty cool. Let�s see what these babies can do! FUNNELs, disperse and attack that mobile suit!� The FUNNELs flew towards a trashed mobile suit and fired at it rapidly. Leon watched in awe as he saw the deactivated Specter disappear under all of the blue lasers the FUNNELs shot out. After the smoke cleared not a trace of the Specter was left. �Amazing�I think I love this mobile suit.� Suddenly, an unbearable pain overcame Leon�s brain. He clenched the temples of his forehead with his hands and yelled out in agony. The Prophecy began to go out of control and began trashing the structures around it while the FUNNELs flew around frantically. Finally, the Prophecy collapsed and the FUNNELs ceased flying. All 12 of them fell to the ground as the Prophecy deactivated. The medical team quickly rushed over to the Prophecy and carried Leon out of the cockpit, who was sweating and panting uncontrollably.
�Leon, are you alright?!� Erica asked.
�I�I�m fine�it�s probably just an after-effect from the Telepath Project experiments�� Leon let out a sigh of relief as he lied on the ground. �Maybe the FUNNEL system is missing something. I remember from the Telepath experiments that I had to wear a certain device on my head as I tested out a prototype operating system the ZAFT scientists created. Come to think of it, the Prophecy�s OS is the same as the prototype OS I tested.�
�Hmm, maybe the device you�re talking about is the �SVS neuro-link targeting computer� that was on the blueprints. I thought it was unnecessary. I�m so sorry Leon.�
�It�s alright Erica; there wasn�t any way for you to know. Just let me sleep�my head is throbbing��
-------------------
�Now I know the importance of testing things. I just hope the Prophecy doesn�t do that to me again.� Leon thought to himself.
�Are you guys ready to depart?� Erica asked as she walked into the hangar. The two men looked at her at noticed that she was wearing an Orb captain�s uniform.
�Erica�what the hell?� Vale asked.
�How else do you guys think you�ll get into space? You�ll need a ship. It just so happens that I have an Izumo-class ship stored away.�
�So you�re gonna be our captain?� Leon asked.
�Of course! There�s no one else here that�s as capable as I am. I could�ve asked Murrue Ramius, but I didn�t want to interrupt her honeymoon with Mwu.�
�Great�I thought I was gonna get away from her bossy attitude�� Vale muttered under his breath.
�I heard that. Just hurry up and get in the ship.�
-------------------
Fahren walked into the laboratory, where Rhapsody was located. Several doctors were conducting the final test runs on her mind by placing a strange, crown-like device on her head.
�Is it ready yet?� Fahren asked.
�Just a few more tests and it should be up and running, sir.� replied one of the doctors.
�And the mobile suits?�
�Our engineers have completed the X-15R and the Geist units. They�re still working on the X-16F though.�
�That�s fine. I suppose I�ll have to stick to my Phantom until the X-16 is complete.� Fahren walked over to Rhapsody and smirked as he looked at her emotionless face. �Silly girl�you�re going to be serving me and me only. Soon, you will be the one that disposes of the man you love so dearly. And you won�t even realize it��
-------------------
Erica�s Izumo-class ship, dubbed �Aozora� flew away from the blue planet into the open space. The PLANTS filled the seemingly empty void. The group�s destination was the moon, where countless EA/Blue Cosmos bases have been built in war�s past. Large groups of Ghosts, Phantoms, Specters, Nelson-class ships, and Agamemnon-class ships surrounded the lunar bases. Vale and Leon were inside their respective mobile suits on standby.
�So it looks it�s gonna be our 2 mobile suits and one battleship against give or take�200 of those bastards.� said Vale.
�Blue Cosmos doesn�t know what kind of hell they�re getting into.� Leon retorted.
�Your overconfidence scares me sometimes.�
�Get ready, you two! Lohengrin, FIRE!!!� Erica commanded. The Aozora fired 4 large positron lasers, striking the surface of the moon and destroying 2 Agamemnon-class ships and 15 mobile suits in the process.
�Leon Sieghart, Prophecy, launching!�
�Jung Won Vale, Shrike, heading out!�
The Blue Cosmos defense countered immediately and fired their guns at Vale and Leon. The two separated and began their �divide and conquer� tactics. The Full Armor Shrike pointed its arms at a large group of Ghosts and fired the bolt discharge cannons at them, frying the onboard computers. The Shrike then faced an Agamemnon-class ship and fired its backpack beam cannons, ripping 2 very large holes in the ship. A Phantom dashed towards Vale with a beam saber, forcing him to parry it with the Shrike�s beam saber. The Phantom was knocked away slightly by the recoil allowing Vale to shoot it down with the Shrike�s beam rifle. Leon fired the Prophecy�s shotgun at some Specters and destroyed them before they could land an attack. 3 Ghosts attempted to disable Leon with their rail cannons, but Leon swiftly dodged the attack by flying above them and fired the Prophecy�s chest beam cannon, destroying them. Reinforcements in the forms of Ghosts, Phantoms, and Specters flew out the lunar bases.
�Shit, there�s too many of them! They�re gonna exhaust our mobile suits!� Vale yelled as he fired off a round of missiles. �Erica, how long until the Lohengrin is fully recharged?�
�We need about 5 more minutes! Try to hold them off until then!� Erica replied. �Gottfried, fire!!!� The Aozora fired its beam cannons at a group of Phantoms that were charging towards it. 6 of them dodged the attack and moved in closer to the ship, ready to fire their beam cannons at it. The Aozora quickly countered and destroyed them all with its CIWS.
�Perfect chance to see if they�ll work properly this time.� Leon thought to himself as he removed his helmet and placed the SVS neuro-link targeting computer on his head. The Prophecy�s linear seat revealed 2 new computer screens with the acronym �FUlly Neurological NEmesis Lance� (FUNNEL) on them. A small visor on the SVS revealed itself and covered Leon�s left eye. �FUNNELs, come out!� The Prophecy�s backpacks opened up and the 12 FUNNELs flew out. �Spread out and attack!� Each FUNNEL scattered around the large mob of Blue Cosmos mobile suits and rapidly fired their beam machine guns at them, confusing the pilots and causing mass chaos among them. Each pilot didn�t know what to shoot down since the FUNNELs were flying around so sporadically. During the confusion Leon flew towards their battleships and sliced off the bridges with the Prophecy�s anti-ship sword, killing the captains and the crew. �FUNNELs, return.� Leon commanded as he grabbed his forehead and began panting. �Damn, it looks like these things have a time limit.�
�Good job Leon, we should be able to attack the lunar bases now.� Erica commented.
�Ma�am, the Lohengrin is fully charged now.� said one of the bridge members.
�Aim it at the main lunar base and fire. Leon and Vale, fly in as soon as the Lohengrin finishes firing.�
�Yes ma�am!� Leon and Vale replied.
The Aozora opened its Lohengrin cannon slots and fired 4 large positron lasers at the base, causing a large explosion and forming a large smoke cloud. Leon and Vale immediately flew towards the moon and was shocked to see that the base was completely unharmed. A large, glowing barrier was formed around the base.
�Shit, should�ve known that they�d use a goddamn positron barrier.� Vale commented.
�You underestimate us, Lieutenant. Did you honestly believe a simple Lohengrin blast could destroy our base?� Estelle retorted as she flew out of the base in a Geist.
�They�re idealistic fools, Estelle. You should know that by now.� Fahren retorted as he joined Estelle in his Geist unit. An unknown red mobile suit equipped with various cannons and FUNNEL-like devices on its shoulder shields followed after him.
�Fahren�� Leon muttered under his breath. �Vale, you go after Estelle. Fahren is mine.�
�Got it, just don�t overdo it.� Vale replied as the two split up. �I�ll make sure I won�t go easy on you this time.�
�Shut it, Coordinator. My Geist unit will be your demise.� Estelle replied.
�Tch, you know I learned something very important from Leon. It�s never the mobile suit that determines the outcome of a battle�it�s the pilot!� Vale yelled as he fired off a round of missiles at Estelle�s Geist. Estelle flew backwards and activated her Geist�s beam shield, blocking the missiles. She countered by firing the Geist�s gatling cannons at Vale, who swiftly dodged the gunfire and quickly fired his beam rifle at her.
-------------------
�Where�s Rhapsody?!� Leon yelled as he fired the Prophecy�s chest beam cannon at Fahren.
�Defeat me, and then I might tell you!� Fahren replied slyly.
�You bastard!� Leon yelled as he equipped the beam katars and charged towards the Geist. Fahren quickly activated the Geist�s anti-ship sword and parried the Prophecy�s katars. Leon put away the katars and equipped the Prophecy with its shotgun, firing it at the Geist at point blank and destroying its first anti-ship sword. Fahren equipped the second anti-ship sword before firing at Leon with the Geist�s beam cannon, forcing him to counter it by firing the Prophecy�s chest beam cannon at the beam, canceling out both lasers. Leon equipped the Prophecy�s anti-ship sword and slashed it towards Fahren, who immediately parried the sword strike and fired a round of gatling gun bullets at Leon. The Prophecy blocked the gunfire with its sword and blasted the Geist�s second anti-ship sword with the chest beam cannon. Fahren fired off another round of bullets before attempting to fly away but Leon chased after him and sliced off the Geist�s right arm with a katar. Fahren equipped the Geist�s beam cannon on the left arm and fired it at Leon, who swiftly dodged the blast and sliced off the nozzle of the beam cannon with a katar. Leon fired off a round of bullets with the Prophecy�s shotgun, forcing Fahren to activate the Geist�s mono-phase lightwave shield and defend.
�Don�t just stand there and dawdle like an idiot! Help me!� Fahren commanded the red unit.
�Hiding behind your flunkies, eh? Pathetic.� Leon prepared to slash the red unit with the Prophecy�s anti-ship sword, but was stopped midway when he felt a familiar presence inside it.
�I don�t think you want to attack the X-15. You might hurt the pilot.� Fahren retorted with a smirk as he showed Leon who was inside the cockpit.
�Rh�Rhap��
�I knew you�d back out and not fight her. You�re so predictable.�
�You son of bitch�what did you do to her?!�
�It was simple, really. When we fled from ZAFT 2 years ago I took all the records of the Telepath Project. Most of the logs were useless to me until I discovered that the scientists created a method of mind control, in case we went berserk like those other two did.�
�Bastard��
�I�ll see you in hell, Sieghart. Rhapsody, be a good girl and dispose of that nuisance.� Fahren said as he flew back towards the lunar base.
��yes sir�� replied a monotonous Rhapsody. �WISPs�come out�� 6 pods flew out of the X-15�s shoulder shields and prepared to fire their beam guns at the Prophecy.
