The light of madness

A silver-white neutron beam tore across the heavens like a blade of judgment descending from a god, reducing everything in its path to nothingness. The power of Genesis exceeded everyone's imagination. That beam, forged from ZAFT's countless efforts and unwavering resolve, swallowed nearly half the Atlantic Federation's main fleet in an instant. More than twenty Nelson-class warships burst apart like paper models, and hundreds of Strike Dagger mobile suits disintegrated under the neutron radiation. Their pilots never even had time to scream before they became stardust, scattered across the universe. The Earth Forces fleet that had once blotted out the sky was reduced to broken wrecks, drifting and burning in the cold expanse of space. Smoke and flames wove a hellscape of despair, its carnage obscuring even the starlight.

The communications channels filled with the sobs, wails, and desperate screams of Earth Forces soldiers, a chaos worthy of the apocalypse. "Retreat! Retreat now! It's too terrifying! We can't stop it!" "My ship is badly damaged! The propulsion system's down! Someone help me!" "Give up! We've lost! Surrender to ZAFT, and we might still survive!" Fear consumed more and more soldiers, shattering their once-fanatical will to attack. The surviving warships turned around, trying to escape that deadly region of space. Calls for surrender rose one after another over the channels, drowning out the scattered voices still urging resistance.

Just as the remnants of the Earth Forces were about to collapse completely, and signals of surrender were about to spread across the battlefield, a cold, crazed voice steeped in utter obsession forced its way through an encrypted communications channel and overrode every Earth Forces frequency. Like a poisoned blade, it pierced everyone's despair and cowardice. It was Muruta Azrael's voice, without a trace of panic, carrying only the madness of mutual destruction.

"Shut up! Every Earth Forces soldier, shut your mouth!" Azrael's roar was deafening. "Do you think retreating will save you? Do you think surrendering will keep you alive?" His voice rose sharply, deliberately stoking terror and desperate resolve. "Genesis's next target is Earth! That madman Patrick Zala wants to wipe out every Natural and let Coordinators rule the entire world! Run now, surrender now, and before long, Genesis's beam will strike Earth! Your families, your homes, everything you cherish will be utterly destroyed! All humanity will perish!"

He deliberately concealed Genesis's cooldown period and the truth that over half his own fleet had been damaged or destroyed, leaving it incapable of mounting an effective attack. With the vilest lies and the most extreme terror, he manipulated the will of every surviving soldier. "Now is not the time to retreat, much less surrender!" Azrael's voice grew more frenzied, charged with a seductive power. "Attack! Attack immediately! Charge Jachin Due! Charge Genesis!" "Only by destroying Genesis, only by killing Patrick Zala, can we survive! Only then can humanity live!"

"Remember, if we don't attack now, we all die!" Those words echoed in every Earth Forces soldier's ears like a curse. "Either give everything you have, destroy Genesis, and win a chance to live, or cower and retreat, watching Earth be destroyed and yourselves and your families turn to ash! Choose!"

Panic and fanaticism mingled and erupted in an instant. The Earth Forces soldiers, already on the verge of collapse, were swept up completely in Azrael's lies. They forgot the terror of Genesis, their battered ships, and their comrades' horrific deaths. Nothing remained in their eyes but the madness and resolve of people driven to the brink. "Charge! Destroy Genesis!" "For Earth! For our families! We'll take them down with us!" Desperate cries rang across the battlefield again. The remaining Earth Forces warships turned back, abandoning their retreat and charging toward Jachin Due and Genesis like rabid dogs. Though the Dominion had only just undergone repairs and its hull still bore scars, it too surged to the front under Azrael's orders. Its bow-mounted main guns powered up at full strength, pouring its last reserves of firepower into ZAFT's defensive formation.

A savage battle of attrition erupted. Like moths to a flame, the remnants of the Earth Forces disregarded their own survival, ramming battered ships into ZAFT warships and using their remaining mobile suits to drag enemy machines into mutual destruction. Every stretch of space filled with the glare of explosions and the presence of death. Though ZAFT's soldiers were riding high on morale, the desperate counterattack caught them off guard. A Strike Dagger locked a Ginn mobile suit in a crushing embrace, and its pilot activated the self-destruct without hesitation, turning both machines into a single fireball. Three battered Earth Forces frigates surrounded a Laurasia-class warship. Amid the thunder of their main guns, both sides exploded together, scattering fragments and staining the starfield red.

As the battle of attrition reached fever pitch, a report reached Azrael, deepening the madness in his eyes. "Chairman, the reserve support fleet from the Ptolemaios base on the Moon has departed at full speed! Eighty warships and four hundred mobile suits are on their way. They're expected to reach the battlefield and join the fighting in two hours!"

A vicious smile curled Azrael's lips. This was exactly what he wanted: use the survivors' desperate charge to buy time and wear down ZAFT, then concentrate their strength on destroying Genesis once the lunar reinforcements arrived. Even if the reinforcements failed to arrive in time, he would use these last surviving forces to drag ZAFT into hell with him. "Pass the order. All units are to buy time at any cost. Even if we lose our last soldier, we must destroy PLANT!" he ordered into the communicator in a low voice. There was no pity in his tone, only an obsession with victory and indifference to death.

In Jachin Due's supreme command room, Patrick Zala stood before the observation window, staring fixedly at the remnants of the Earth Forces charging toward them like moths to a flame. His eyes showed no flicker of emotion, only bone-deep coldness and resolve. Genesis's first shot had destroyed half the enemy's main force, but it had failed to crush their resistance completely. Instead, it had provoked a frenzied counterattack. More infuriating still, Earth Forces reinforcements were on their way from the Moon Base. Once they arrived, ZAFT's defensive formation would suffer devastating damage, and Genesis itself would be in danger of destruction.

"A swarm of vermin that doesn't know when to die." Zala's voice was chilling, filled with utter disgust and obsession. "Since you're so determined to die, since you insist on one last struggle, I'll grant your wish. Not just you, but those reinforcements coming to their deaths, and every Natural on Earth, will pay for your stupidity!"

Ignoring his adjutant's protests, he raised his hand and pressed the communicator again. His voice thundered with authority across every ZAFT communications channel, carrying an unquestionable resolve. "Order the Genesis command team to disregard the cooldown restriction. Accelerate energy accumulation at full capacity and initiate the second shot! Target: the Ptolemaios base on the Moon and every incoming Earth Forces reserve support ship. Fire at full power! Destroy them completely! Leave nothing!"

"Chairman! You mustn't!" The adjutant went pale and pleaded urgently. "Genesis hasn't finished cooling down! Forcing energy accumulation to accelerate will damage the weapon! And several of our ships are still near its firing path. They haven't cleared the area yet. If we fire now, we'll hit our own forces!"

"Shut up!" Zala wheeled around and fixed the adjutant with an icy stare, his tone carrying a deadly weight. "For ZAFT's victory, for the Coordinators' future, what do a few ships and a few soldiers matter?! Anyone who stands in our way, enemy or ally, will be eliminated! Execute the order immediately! Disobedience will be punished under military law!"

The adjutant shuddered. Not daring to offer another protest, the adjutant could only turn away in despair and relay Zala's instructions. Though the Genesis command team knew the danger of forcing another shot, they dared not defy the Supreme Commander's order. They accelerated energy accumulation at full capacity. The weapon began to shake violently, its energy fluctuations growing increasingly wild. Fine cracks even appeared in its metal casing, and an overwhelming pressure that promised utter annihilation once again settled over the entire region.

At that moment, several ZAFT Laurasia-class warships were near Genesis's firing path, throwing everything they had into intercepting the charging Earth Forces. They had received no orders to evade, and there was no time for them to clear the area. When the order for Genesis's second shot came through, a silver-white beam even brighter and more violent than the first erupted from its muzzle, pierced the heavens in an instant, and raced straight toward the Ptolemaios base on the Moon.

Everything in the beam's path was swallowed. Three ZAFT warships intercepting the Earth Forces were struck before they could react. Their hulls rapidly disintegrated under the neutron radiation, and deafening explosions claimed hundreds of ZAFT soldiers in an instant, without giving them the slightest chance to resist. The Earth Forces soldiers locked in combat with them fell briefly silent at the sight. Then even more frenzied cries erupted. "That madman Zala is killing his own people! Fight them to the end!"

Grief and fury erupted among ZAFT's soldiers across the battlefield. They had sworn to defend PLANT and their homes to the death, never imagining that their own Supreme Commander would sacrifice his people for a so-called victory. Just as everyone descended into anguish and confusion, a calm, resolute voice came over the communications channel and broke through the chaos. It was Yzak Joule.

Until then, Yzak had followed Zala's will, convinced that only overwhelming force could utterly defeat the Earth Forces and safeguard the Coordinators' future. But now, seeing Genesis forced to fire into their own ships, seeing hundreds of his people sacrificed for nothing, cold reality shattered his fanaticism and obsession. His mind cleared completely. At last, he understood that Zala's madness would drag ZAFT and every Coordinator into an abyss from which there was no return.

"All Joule Squad members, disengage from the Earth Forces immediately and turn toward Genesis!" Yzak's voice was steady and firm, his orders leaving no room for doubt. "Target its energy conduits! Attack at full strength and disrupt its operation! Also, notify every nearby ZAFT mobile suit unit. Cover the Three Ships Alliance's warships and mobile suits as they break through the Earth Forces blockade. We'll assault Genesis together and stop Zala's madness!"

"Captain, are we still supposed to follow the chairman's orders?" a squad member asked, the question filled with grief and bewilderment.

"Zala's orders will destroy ZAFT. I won't follow them anymore!" Yzak's voice was cold and resolute. "We don't protect PLANT by sacrificing our own people or destroying everything. We protect it with courage and reason! Right now, stopping Zala and stopping Genesis is our only mission! All units, attack!"

"Yes, Captain!" The Joule Squad answered as one, their voices filled with grief and determination. Yzak then broke away from the fighting in his custom GuAIZ mobile suit and led the charge toward Genesis. Its beam cannons fired at full power, striking the energy conduits with precision and sending showers of sparks into space. The rest of his squad followed close behind, attacking Genesis together to disrupt its operation. Meanwhile, more and more ZAFT mobile suit units came to their senses after hearing Yzak's orders. They disengaged from the Earth Forces and joined the effort to cover the Three Ships Alliance and assault Genesis.

On the Earth Forces side, Azrael watched Genesis's second shot destroy the Moon Base and the approaching reinforcements. There was no regret in his eyes, only an almost pathological madness. With the reinforcements destroyed, his last hope had vanished completely. Now he had only one thought left: mutual destruction with the Coordinators. PLANT and every Coordinator would die with the fallen Earth Forces.

"Pass the order. Deploy every mobile armor unit carrying nuclear missiles!" Azrael commanded into the communicator, his low voice carrying the resolve to take everyone down with him. "Launch every nuclear missile at the PLANT colonies! I'll turn those Coordinators to ash along with us! I'll make this entire sea of stars die with this war!"

At Azrael's command, dozens of Peacemaker nuclear-strike mobile armors flew out from the surviving Earth Forces warships. Like specters of death, they charged toward the PLANT colonies. Each carried a nuclear missile powerful enough to destroy a colony. A golden halo of nuclear radiation flickered faintly within their compartments, and the shadow of death once again fell over the entire region. This time, Azrael wanted not victory, but total annihilation.

On the Starry Sky's bridge, Akira Hawke stared at the battlefield feed on his personal terminal. He watched the nuclear-armed mobile armors fly toward the PLANT colonies, watched Zala's madness and Azrael's obsession, watched countless soldiers die across the battlefield. There was no panic in his eyes, only the calm resolve of someone who held the whole situation in hand. He knew the time had come. He had to act, end this insane war, and stop the utter destruction it threatened.

Akira immediately opened a channel to ZAFT's garrison forces. His voice was grave and firm, every word carrying immense weight. "All garrison units stationed around PLANT, deploy at once! Your targets are the Earth Forces mobile armors carrying nuclear missiles. Intercept them with everything you have! Destroy every nuclear missile at any cost. Not a single one can be allowed near the PLANT colonies! Protect your homes! Protect the people you love! Now is the time to stand up!"

"Yes, Major General Hawke!" the garrison soldiers answered together, their voices filled with a resolve that accepted death. Countless ZAFT mobile suits then flew out from the defensive bases surrounding PLANT. Like eagles defending their nests, they charged toward the nuclear-armed mobile armors. A battle of interception that would decide PLANT's survival began.

After issuing his orders, Akira immediately called Lacus. His tone was urgent but still composed. "Lacus, this is an emergency. Chairman Zala has fired Genesis a second time, even sacrificing our own warships to do it. He's completely lost his mind. His next move will very likely be to aim Genesis at Earth. I need you to contact every PLANT council member immediately. Unite them in publicly opposing any further shots from Genesis, and submit a motion to strip Patrick Zala of his authority as Supreme Commander. We have to stop him."

On the other end, Lacus's voice was firm and composed, without a trace of panic. "I understand, Akira. I'm already contacting the Clyne Faction's council members. I'll bring everyone together as quickly as possible to pressure the Zala Faction, stop Genesis, and strip him of his authority. Don't worry. We won't let Zala destroy PLANT's future."

"Good. Thank you for your efforts," Akira replied softly. He ended the call with Lacus and immediately contacted Councilor Amalfi. "Councilor Amalfi, I need your help. Zala has gone completely mad. Genesis's second shot hit our own ships and killed countless people. Next, he may attack Earth, or even destroy all of PLANT. I hope you'll lead your faction in joining the Clyne Faction's council members. Together, you can pressure the Zala Faction, force them to compromise, abandon Genesis, strip Zala of his authority, and end this war."

"Major General Hawke, I've already heard about the battlefield situation and Zala's insane actions." Councilor Amalfi's voice was steady and decisive. "Rest assured, I'll mobilize every connection and resource I have immediately. I'll lead my faction in giving you and Miss Lacus our full support, joining the Clyne Faction's council members to pressure the Zala Faction. We can stop Zala and this mad destruction. Focus on the battlefield. Leave matters here to me."

"Thank you, Councilor Amalfi. Words can't express my gratitude," Akira said sincerely. Some of the weight lifted from his heart. With Lacus and Councilor Amalfi working together, political pressure from the rear was bound to have an effect. On the front lines, the garrison's full deployment could also buy them some time. He, meanwhile, needed to act personally to stop Genesis's third shot and Azrael's final act of madness.

After ending the call, Akira turned and looked at Natarle Badgiruel beside him. His voice was steady and solemn. "Executive Officer Badgiruel, I'm entrusting the Starry Sky and the entire Silver Wing fleet to you. I need you to command the Starry Sky in giving the garrison our full support and intercepting the nuclear-armed mobile armors. Coordinate with Yzak's squad and the Three Ships Alliance to contain the surviving Earth Forces and prevent them from approaching Genesis or PLANT. Whatever happens, hold the line. Protect the Starry Sky, and protect our soldiers."

Natarle stood and gave Akira a crisp military salute. Her gaze was resolute and sincere, without the slightest hesitation. "You can count on me, Major General Hawke! I'll give everything I have to command the Starry Sky and the Silver Wing fleet, hold the line, and intercept those nuclear missiles. I won't let you down! I won't let PLANT come to any harm, and I won't betray your trust!"

Akira nodded slightly, a faint smile of relief crossing his face. "I believe in you." Without further hesitation, he turned and headed out of the bridge toward the hangar. His steps were firm and measured, each carrying a willingness to face death and an unwavering determination to protect everything.

In the Starry Sky's hangar, the Justicar Gundam stood silently. Its silver-and-black frame gleamed cold and sharp under the lights, its back-mounted thrusters ready to fire, its entire form radiating a threat of overwhelming destruction. Akira quickly entered the cockpit, secured his harness, and touched the control panel. The Justicar Gundam's systems activated at once, its frame trembling slightly like a sleeping beast slowly awakening. Live images of the battlefield appeared on the cockpit screens. The PLANT colonies still shone softly, but death's shadow hung over them. Genesis continued to tremble as energy accumulated, ready to fire a third time at any moment. The garrison was intercepting the nuclear-armed mobile armors amid one explosion after another. Yzak's squad and the Three Ships Alliance's mobile suits were pressing their assault on Genesis, locked in savage combat with the surviving Earth Forces.

Akira drew a deep breath and suppressed the tangled emotions in his heart. His gaze became sharp and resolute as he slowly pushed the control lever forward. In a cold, determined voice, he spoke into the communicator. "Justicar Gundam, launching. Target: Genesis. Stop Patrick Zala. Intercept all remaining nuclear-armed mobile armors and stop Azrael's madness. Protect PLANT, protect this sea of stars, and end this war."

At Akira's command, the hangar doors slowly opened. The Justicar Gundam's thrusters fired at full power, blazing with dazzling blue light. Like a bolt of silver-and-black lightning, it shot out of the Starry Sky and raced straight toward the center of the battlefield. Its beam cannons fired at full strength, precisely striking a nuclear-armed mobile armor attempting to break through the interception line. The machine burst apart, and its nuclear missile detonated in space. The resulting shock wave swallowed every Earth Forces mobile suit nearby.

On the Starry Sky's bridge, Natarle watched the Justicar Gundam on the screen, her eyes filled with determination and trust. She issued her orders into the communicator in a low voice. "All Silver Wing fleet personnel, give Major General Hawke your full support! Main guns, fire at full power and contain the surviving Earth Forces! Deploy every mobile suit unit to assist the garrison in intercepting the nuclear-armed mobile armors! We must clear a path for Major General Hawke so he can reach Genesis and stop Zala's madness!"

"Yes, Executive Officer!" The Silver Wing fleet answered as one, their voices carrying a resolve that accepted death. The Starry Sky's main guns powered up fully, pouring dense beams like a rainstorm into the surviving Earth Forces warships. Dozens of Silver Wing mobile suits flew from the hangar and charged like blades toward the nuclear-armed mobile armors. Fighting beside the garrison, they defended PLANT with their blood and courage.

The battle still raged fiercely. Exploding fireballs, brilliant beams, the roar of mobile suits, and soldiers' cries wove an apocalyptic scene. In that cold expanse of stars, Patrick Zala's madness, Muruta Azrael's obsession, the Earth Forces' desperate counterattack, and ZAFT's determination to protect their homes played out in an ultimate confrontation over life, death, and the future.

The Justicar Gundam raced through space, its silver-and-black form weaving between gunfire and wreckage. Every attack was precise and lethal, every evasion perfectly timed. Piloting it, Akira intercepted the remaining nuclear-armed mobile armors while charging toward Jachin Due and Genesis. He knew the fiercest battle awaited him ahead: his final confrontation with Zala and Azrael.

But he was not afraid. To protect PLANT, to protect Luna, Meirin, Shiho, and Lacus, to protect everyone he loved, to end this cruel war and create a peaceful, just future, he was willing to give everything. Even at the cost of his own life, he would never back down.

Among the stars, the light of judgment had already kindled. The frenzied final battle had reached its most critical moment.