[Summer Contest Entry 2012] The Pulse of the Stars

Glossary for those who are not familiar with Gundam:
Mobile Suit: A humanoid mech, universal term for all mechs in the Gundam Universe.
Gundam: A special type of mobile suit, one significantly more powerful than standard mobile suits.

Zaku/Zaku-II: A standard, nothing-special mobile suit. Standard issue in the True Mods Army.

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[size=29]The Pulse of the Stars[/h]

Phase 1 Romeo

~December 17th, Year 0069 AC

Five minutes.
Antwon sat in the cockpit of the RX-78-2[R] Rebellion Gundam, gripping the two joysticks on either side of him. The 360 degree monitor showed only black, with dots of white. Space. The only things around were the other mobile suits following in formation behind him. Four of them.
Antwon was lost in thought. He knew what was coming. He didn't like it.

Four minutes.
"Hey, Ant. You alive in there? You're slowing down." Noirit's voice broke the silence.
"Yeah... yeah." Antwon pushed forward on the joysticks and returned to normal speed.
"You're thinking about her again... aren't you?" Noirit knows Antwon too well.
Antwon sighed. "Yeah. I am. I don't know if I can do this, Art."
"She's the enemy, dude. It's just the way it is- and don't call me Art. It's Noirit."
"Whatever, Art." Antwon closed the comm line.

Three minutes.
"Commander Celia Tegumi...." Antwon mumbled. "Celia..."
Commander Celia Tegumi of the True Mods Army, Antwon's enemy. Our enemy. She is leading the attack force sent to assault the IB Rebellions main headquarters, and Antwon's Gundam squad was deployed to defend it, and destroy Commander Tegumi's forces.
Antwon felt sick to his stomach.

Two minutes.
Antwon opened the comm lines to the rest of his team. "Two minutes until battle. Everyone check in."
"Noirit, Ibanez Gundam. Let's rock it."
"Farid, Discension Gundam. Hm."
"Jun, Skyline Gundam! Ready!"
"Greg, Izumi Gundam. This one's for you, Konata."
Antwon went on. "Alright. The four of you stay in formation, when the battle begins I'm going after the leader."
"He means Commander Tegumi." Farid interjected.
"Quiet!" Antwon barked. "Sixty seconds until battle."

One minute.



Phase 2 Juliet

"Commander Tegumi," said a timid voice over the comm line.
"What is it, Ensign Sindalf?" Celia replied.
"I'm picking up five enemy mobile suits heading directly at us. Must be the force sent to repel us."
"Against our force of fifty mobile suits? They must be kidding." She scoffed.
"It's the Gundam Squad, Commander. Being led by the Rebellion Gundam."
Celia fell silent. She knew the pilot of the Rebellion Gundam all too well. That damn Antwon. Why did it have to be him?
"Celia? Are you alright?" Ensign Sindalf asked.
"Y-yes. It won't be an issue- and you're to call me Commander Tegumi. You'll do good to remember your place." She closed the comm line.

Celia led a force of fifty mobile suits for an attack on the IB Rebellions main headquarters. It's no surprise they've dispatched a defense force, but why did it have to be Antwon of all people?
She didn't want to fight. Not against Antwon. It wasn't a matter of piloting skill, but something else.
Antwon was the only person who ever truly treated her like a friend. More than a friend.
No. Not anymore. Antwon is the enemy. Celia repeated this to herself. She wasn't ready.

Celia sat back in the cockpit of her mobile suit- the Zaku-II [Tegumi Custom]. A fine machine, a cut above the force she was leading. 2 joysticks on either side, which she gripped tightly and nervously. Celia was no stranger to battle, but this was going to be far different from any battle she'd seen before.

Ensign Sindalf re-opened the line to Celia.
"Commander Tegumi, we'll make contact with the Gundam squad in 60 seconds. Please prepare for a battle."
Celia didn't reply.



Phase 3 Their Deleted Affair

~June 12th, Year 0059 AC; 10 years earlier

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. "Antwon! Antwooooon!!" Celia was yelling again. Just like every morning.
Antwon pulled the blankets over his face. "Go awaaaay, Celia..." he grumbled.
Celia opened the door of his small dorm room. "Antwon, you're going to be late for pilot practice. You don't want Mr. Nikon to scold you again, right?"
"Fine... fine, I'm getting up."

* * *

Antwon was lazily walking to class with Celia following close behind him, with that usual stern look on her face.
Noirit joined the trek and threw an arm around Antwon.
"So, Ant! I heard Celia torched you in the battle-sim yesterday! I thought you were supposed to be at the top of the class, but you let a girl beat you? Haha!!" Noirit was trying to push Antwons buttons as usual. Antwon just grumbled at him.
"Well I am the only female student in this school for a reason, Noirit!" Celia proudly explained. "I didn't get in just because of my good looks."
Noirit jokingly replied "If it were about good looks, they wouldn't have even let you in the door! And don't call me Noirit, I told you to call me Art, dammit!"
Antwon pushed Noirit off of him. "Cool it, Art. Don't mess with her."
"Oooooh, got a soft spot for Celia, eh??" Art grinned like an idiot.
"You're an dumbass." Antwon replied.
Celia just blushed and looked away. Out of character for her. Neither of them noticed.

* * *

RIIIIING!
"Go eat lunch, and come right back." Mr. Nikon announced. "There's still much more to discuss on vernier thrusters."
Antwon, Celia and Noirit (or Art as he preferred to be called by his friends), the Three top students in the class always ate lunch together in the cafeteria.
Antwon and Celia were already eating when Noirit sat down.
"SO." He said, dropping his tray on the table with an annoying clack. "I heard there are these new mobile suits being developed called Gundams. They're supposed to be ten times as powerful as any Zaku! Isn't that amazing?"
Antwon and Celia weren't even listening. "Hey, Art. Why don't you go buy me another sandwich?" Antwon asked.
"Go buy it yourself!" Noirit replied.
Antwon then spoke to Noirit with eye-contact alone. Noirit understood.
"Uh, yeah... I'll go get you that sandwich." Noirit stood up and walked off.

Antwon and Celia now sat alone... and Antwon took action.
"Uh.. so, Celia." Celia looked at him with a mouthful of sandwich.
"We have some time off this weekend.... and it is Summer, so... would you like to go to the beach with me?"
Celia almost choked on her sandwich after hearing Antwon, but quickly regained her composure.
"Why would you want to go to the beach with me?" She replied.
Antwon felt his heart sink. "Nevermind, it was a stupid idea, haha... I mean, I was just kidding. Forget about it." He stood up and began to walk away, but Celia grabbed his arm. Antwon turned back to see her smiling.
"I'd love to go to the beach with you."
Antwon never felt a greater victory in his life.
"YEAH!!" He yelled out triumphantly, but then remembered Celia sitting right next to him. Antwons face turned red, Celia giggled.

Times like these in True Mods Pilot School were only distant memories for Antwon and Celia now.
The True Mods Army was always looking for fresh young minds to mold into fierce mobile suit pilots, and children would choose at age fourteen whether to continue in standard school, or to enroll in the Pilot School.
Antwon and Noirit, who grew up together like brothers, both enrolled along with Celia- the first girl to ever try.
The three of them were childhood friends, and it seemed like nothing would tear them apart.

Unfortunately, the True Mods Army's tight grip on society allowed them to start enforcing unfair laws and taxes on the people of Earth.
A rebellion soon arose. Antwon and Noirit always thought of themselves as freedom fighters, and at age eighteen, swiftly deserted the True Mods Army to join the IB Rebellion.
Celia however, stayed with the True Mods. She simply wanted to keep order in the world, something the True Mods Army aimed to do.
Antwon felt no greater loss than when he had to leave Celia behind.
Her and Antwon would be forced to fight as enemies, no matter how much they didn't want to.

~Present day

Sixty seconds until battle. Antwon was already sweating. Blips started popping up on his radar, indicated enemy mobile suits, but all he cared about was one. Celia's. He would give anything for this fight not to happen, but it was unavoidable.

Sixty seconds until battle. Celia looked down at her chest. Around her neck was a cheap necklace made of seashells. She held part of it in her hand, remembering the boy who gave it to her all those years ago. A tear fell from her eye.

Thirty seconds until battle.
Twenty seconds.
Ten seconds.

"Celia..."
"Antwon..."

End~

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THIS DIARY PAGE HERE IS NOT PART OF THE STORY. SO DON'T COUNT IT IN.
RICE IS A LIMP-DICK MOTHERFUCKER

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Shit. 1479 words (if you don't count the diary page). Cutting it close.
EDIT: 1495 words counting everything. Fuck.
First time I've tried to seriously write something.
It was going to be a lot longer, but I had to cut a shit-load of it out to meet the 1500 word restriction.

On the subject of possible plagiarism: This is a completely original story, even though I'm using mobile suits from the Gundam Universe.
I'm using them in place of having to come up with mechs of my own, just for the sake of easier writing.

This...is...amazing... T~T

tl;dr it's shit -5/10

If you don't like to read then why are you here? Just to spam? Take it to IB not here.


In any case, this is quite the amazing work.

Don't mind him, Damien. That's just Anus-kun being...well...himself.

OT: This was a pretty damn good story, Ant.

inside jokes brooooooo

Haha. While I am aware of your jokes of such nature, perhaps you should limit such jokes in places where people would not like to see them? Others may not like it.

Thanks, I really appreciate that!

You're welcome, I hope you win.

I'm not a fan of Gundam, honestly speaking, but this has been a good read.
It was fun, I guess. But I think the prices are to high for this kind of writing.
Not that you don't deserve to win or anything, but, urgghh... I'm think I'm just a bit bitter (I'm planning to join too, you know).

Anyway, Goodluck.

Thanks very much.

I'm sorry but the words on the diary page will count.

Regardless of that, this was a good read. It definitely gave me the laughter that I had expected!

It burns. Execution was flawless. Sweet and bitter. Good job.

Boooo >.>

man, that was good my balls feels so itchy right now

Okay then Sir. To be honest, out of all few entries I've read until now, your piece is my favorite~

When some people said it made them laughed their ass off, I'd say it's more like an epic story than a comedic one. I like how you used the names of Fakku users in this one, it adds the feel of...how should I call it, it makes you feel a bit closer to the characters and in some way or another it could make you relate to them in all their aspirations and feelings, they really came to life as you describe them through their actions and dialogues...that's some great accomplishment you have there~

Another side that appeals me is about the Gundam thingy, I had some liking for Gundam and other Mecha stuffs although I'm not really a fan of it, so yeah the theme kind of appeals. The ending, although it feels rather anticlimactic, leaving the readers tad curious about what will happen next, it seems pretty appropriate as I feel it gives the most impact to the readers and left a longer aftermath visage compared to the other kinds of end. So let me say, bravo to ya =D

Damn man, you made me feel all tingly. Thanks for the critique!

Also.... mine is the first entry in the contest to have a 2nd page. VICTORY. [size=10]I guess.[/h]

Yeah, sucks Rise is being super anal about the words on the note though.