[Log] Last Stand at A Baoa Qu (Part 1)
WHO: Gihren Zabi, Hrist Valkyrie, Isa Reichert, Master Asia, Pizza, Shin Matsunaga
WHEN: Mar 7 2008
WHERE: Sci-Fi Sector - Side 3 Space / A Baoa Qu
WHAT: With the assistance of Gihren Zabi and his renegade Zeon forces, the Horsemen attack the Zeon space fortress A Baoa Qu. Unprepared for such a large-scale assault, Shin Matsunaga scrambles the Divine Crusaders and available Syndicate members for the defense - but the Syndicate is wholly outnumbered...
WATCH FOR: Everything!
MISSING TAGS: Gihren Zabi
Sci-Fi Sector - Side 3
In the year Universal Century 0079, the orbital nation known as the Principality of Zeon declared its independence from the Earth Federation, prompting the devastating One Year War. Side 3 is the location of Zeon, at the second Lagrange Point (L2), placing it on the far side of the Moon and out of sight of the Earth. It consists of some hundreds of orbital colonies, and the asteroid space fortress A Bao A Qu.
Each colony is a large, cylindrical spacestation holding roughly a million people, powered by a mixture of nuclear and solar energy. Within each colony, cities can be found, complete with manufacturing and commercial elements. Following the destruction of the STMC War, Zeon has fallen under the democratic government of Darcia Bakharov. With Zeon and the Earth Federation largely depleted, they no longer are at war, but tensions remain high between the two countries.
Contents:
A Bao A Qu
Pizza
Hrist Valkyrie
Gihren Zabi
Shin Matsunaga
Space Noah-class Carrier Kogane
Master Asia
Side 5 - Shoal Zone
Obvious exits:
tmospheric Reentry leads to Sci-Fi Sector - Mount Kilimanjaro.
tardock leads to Sci-Fi Sector.
The space around A Bao A Qu is quiet. After all, since the end of the One Year War and the following STMC War, the space fortress has seen little direct battle. However, it remains an important line of defense for Zeon and the homeland. The colonies of Side 3 can be seen in the distance, mostly as little points of light. It is known that if A Bao A Qu falls, then Side 3 would soon follow; the Battle of Loum proved that battles amidst colonies are a certain path to extinction.
But, right now, no one would attack A Bao A Qu itself. This is common wisdom.
And yet, not all is as it seems. Several ships are approaching A Bao A Qu; Zeon warships, which appear to be returning on patrol. There is an exception; Hollis Jumaro and Gihren Zabi stand at the bridge of the Gwazine-class cruiser in the lead. Zabi frowns, as he taps a finger. "Bay 16," he states. "We'll broadcast the coordinates there."
"Yes, sir," Hollis replies, relaying the order. Then, he turns, and looks at Gihren. "We're ready to launch, sir. And the distraction is in order."
Gihren smiles. "Good. The Dolos-class is our ace in the hole. Now, to just play our wild card..."
On the bridge of the Dolos, there is a shout. A Bao A Qu command gets a brief burst of static and the first part of the shout - before a 9mm round shoots into the communications console. The Zeon tech at it stands, looking surprised and backward, before the next bullet takes him between the eyes. The Captain opens his mouth, as well. "What-what is the meaning of-"
More armed soldiers rush through the bridge, turning their guns downward, and open fire, shooting into the captain and riddling him with bullets. One commando leaps, then, and falls down near the communications console. "Supreme Commander Zabi, we have the Dolos!"
Then, within Bay 16 of A Bao A Qu, there is a flash of light. A pillar of energy bursts upward... and lizardmen appear, snarling and rushing into the nearby guards. More shouts come to A Bao A Qu's command, as the sounds of gunfire and snarls can be heard. The pillar also remains - a steady teleportation beacon, ready for any Horseman to take into the bowels of the asteroid space fortress.
Shin Matsunaga says, "Damn it. We're under attack at A Baoa Qu. Looks like Horsemen."
Doctor Doom says, "Hmm. Doom has wished to observe their power for some time. I will assist you."
Shin Matsunaga says, "The fourth fleet's out on maneuvers. All available Crusaders, scramble in whatever isn't currently occupied. We'll have to hold off their ships while their foot troops are dealt with inside."
Geist One: Isa Reichert growls something, but she sounds anticipatory; predatory. "Send us. We will teach them a thing or two, da? We have been itching for battle since the Round Table."
Shin Matsunaga says, "...Acknowledged, Doctor."
Amid the fleet, something curious emerges.
At one point, it was a Zeon Bigro Mobile Armor. This, however, only vaguely resembles the clawed mobile armor-the talons remain, acting as the "feet" of a long-necked, winged, condor-like machine with a single eye that glows behind a pointed "mask." Green and orange, it speeds forward at a surprisingly rapid pace, boosted by whatever tranformation it has undergone. The mono-eye scans the area, and it rushes towards A Bao A Qu with gleaming claws.
A voice transmits over a radio. Is it from a pilot? There doesn't appear to be a pilot controlling the mutant Mobile Armor. "Humans, surrender! Return A Bao A Qu to its proper owners. Such is the will of the MACHINE KINGS!"
The Master tsk, "Well, if you're brutally conquered, I'll lose a fortune on that Captain Zeon cartoon I'm financing..."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Get ready to enjoy your pending riches, then."
A light blossoms from behind the Dolos as the trap is sprung, metal armour folding away from the body of a dark Gundam and coalescing into a pair of wings. Yellow eyes flare to life as the Master Gundam pulls in alongside the ship's bridge. The Undefeated of the East nods once in the direction of Jumaro, then smiles and begins stretching out his legs.
"So this is A Bao A Qu," he rumbles, smiling softly. "Aaah, White Wolf...you can run no further."
In the other plane, Hrist communicates with Garma again. "Your brother is here." She tells him, "On the Dolos. Will you support him this time?"
"Against Zeon...?" Garma murmurs, "Your bargains become the devil's, Valkyrie."
"Is Zeon in the name or in the spirit, Garma?" Hrist smiles, "If it's in the name, we can stay away, but if it's in the spirit..."
And that's all that needs to be said. A familiar Zaku, equipped with a tomahawk and shoulder gun, appears near the Zolos as if summoned-and indeed, you could call it that-by magic.
Garma Zabi synchs up through the Horsemen frequency through Hrist. He thinks about how Zeon had remembered him as a great war hero after his death-how would they, he wonders, see him now!
He sends a transmission to the Horsemen and seems just about ready to charge ahead to do battle once again.
Hrist remains out of sight for the time being.
So I was right, Shin Matsunaga thinks bitterly to himself as he leaps into the cockpit of the white ReGelg standing in the Kogane's dorsal launch bay. The patricide and his insane friends are trying to gain control of Zeon again. And me without a UC Alliance up my sleeve.
Indeed, the Horsemen couldn't have picked a worse time to strike. As he runs through the preflight process, the Captain scowls grimly, mentally crunching numbers. The Fourth Fleet is outsystem on maneuvers, leaving only the Third Fleet, and a good chunk of the DC Elite are still assigned to the Belkan front. The lines of defense are not as strong as they could be - and there was certainly no way to expect attackers inside A Baoa Qu itself. "Smart son of a bitch," he mutters. The attack was certainly well timed on the part of the Zabis.
He flicks on his comline. "Crusader One to all pilots! Scramble in whatever units are available. The Fourth Fleet's being recalled; we have to hold the Horsemen here until reinforcements can arrive." A grim note creeps into his voice, and he scowls - yet it's a scowl of determination. "We're a little outgunned, but that's never stopped us before. Launch!"
A green light pings somewhere in the distance, and the launch catapult activates, hurling the ReGelg from the Kogane's hangar.
Indeed, the huge black and gold carrier is one of the ships present, forming the core of the asteroid fortress' line of defense. Musai-class light cruisers seem to make up most of the force, along with a couple of heavier Chivvay battleships and a whole slew of mobile suits. These are largely modern models - Gelgoogs, Gelgoog Marines, and some of the new Galbaldy and Dom Funf types. The line was largely in place already - yet the sudden shocks of news running around the battlefield seem to have thrown the Zeons into some disarray.
"We've lost contact with the Dolos!" shouts the lovely Commander Jessad, darting across the Kogane's bridge to the master display console. "Unable to raise the ship!"
"Could the ship be under attack from inside?" muses Lieutenant Commander von Staffel, the tall blond man scratching his chin. "The Dolos is one of the linchpins of the defensive line, and it WAS Admiral Gihren's pet project-"
"Admiral nothing," the green-haired woman snaps. "That man is disgraced."
"Yes sir. Ma'am."
Milla's brows knit. "Nevertheless, you may be right." She turns to the comm officer. "Ensign, transmit to the fleet. Maintain defensive positions. Scharnhorst, take our post. Kogane will assume position in Grid 13 to cover the Dolos."
The orders go out, and even as the White Wolf of Solomon shoots from the Kogane with a swarm of mobile suits rising around him, the Kogane begins to sail towards the Dolos, the huge Space Noah carrier relinquishing its current position to the steel-grey Tivvay-class cruiser Scharnhorst.
From the ReGelg, Shin looks towards the Dolos with a scowl. Perhaps it's just a communication error. Perhaps not.
"All units prepare to engage," he barks into his radio. "Let's show them what the REAL Zeon is all about!"
Four spacecraft speed in towards the combat area, part of the cloud of mobile suits attending the White Wolf of Solomon. Relatively sleek as far as mobile suits run, these are obviously built for speed and interception. The four MS-21C "Dra-C" craft fly in a loose diamond formation, but there's something wrong.
None of them bear standard colors. Neither the blue and gray of the Delaz Fleet, nor the flat gray of Axis are on these. Instead, they're all painted a solid matte black, dark enough to swallow the surrounding stars, select panels on the undersides painted in bright reflective silver. Yellow serial numbers are painted on the outside of the left of each long, heavy thrusters - '502,' '503,' '504,' and '505.'
The Geist Squadron has arrived.
Isa Reichert is silent, this time, occupied with familiarizing herself with the controls as quickly as possible. She's had a chance to pilot it in preparation for space battles, but this isn't her usual craft. The Fulcrums simply can't operate out of the atmosphere. No amount of tweaking or upgrading would make it so.
<>
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Looks like they're all ready, weapons primed and waiting for a target. They follow Shin's white ReGelg, for the moment, but the Geist Squadron is prepared to split off wherever they're needed.
<
> Isa can't help but grumble, after a few moments, single blue eye glued to her radar equipment. <>
Shin Matsunaga says, "Geist Squad, are the Dra-Cs handling alright?"
Geist One: Isa Reichert statics for a moment, before answering clearly. "Communications synched. Engines, good. Weapons systems, primed." There's a short pause. "Da! We are handling fine." Her grin is audible. "And we are ready for them."
Doctor Doom says, "Master - I have located the interlopers. Temporal coordinates will be uploaded to your TARDiS."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Good luck, everyone; we'll have our work cut out for us. Looks like they've brought a lot of firepower in that battle group. I'm also picking up the Master Gundam and... what looks like a Zondarized Bigro."
"All forces..." Gihren says, with a smile crossing his face, "attack!" The commander's shout goes out through the radio waves. The hangars of the approaching squadron of ships open - and out fly numerous Gelgoogs and Rick Doms, with some old Zaku II's thrown in for good measure. The Rick Doms unleash the first wave; many of the approaching loyalist Zeon forces find rockets hurtling towards them from their large bazookas, as Gihren crosses his arms over his chest.
Hollis Jumaro looks at him, reverence in his eyes. The grey-eyed Colonel nods his head. "Sir," he says, "I'll be launching."
"Of course, Colonel Jumaro," the man answers. Hollis turns, starting down the way. After a few moments, another MS bursts from the hangar - a sleek Gelgoog Marine, painted in a dark blue with silver highlights. The Mobile Suit twists around, raising its knuckle shield, and then aims for one of the Dra-C units in Isa's squadron. Hollis narrows his eyes - and then looses a beam rifle blast through space, shooting at one of them!
Geist Three: Liese Lustig says, "Heads up! We've got company...! Geist Three, engaging!"
Geist One: Isa Reichert snarls, over the sound of something impacting and cockpit warnings. "Geist Squadron, engage! Take that son of a bitch down."
Pizza, in his own Zondar Robo form, soars through space as he leaves a faint yellow energy trail. The glow of Minovsky particles is strangely absent-what he's using as a power source is unknown. Unlike the animalistic, zombie-like Zondars powered by human cores, he remains every bit himself-able to fit into this new body with ease. It gives him a feeling of exhilaration, a mental adrenaline shot even if not a physical one.
Some part in the back of his mind distantly wonders why this is so familiar. The thought is dismissed-of course it's familiar. He is a Zondar. All of them can do this.
The condor hovers for a moment, spreading out its wings to reveal a series of gun turrets. With a birdlike screech, Pizza sends a barrage of glittering, blinding green laser fire towards the forces protecting A Bao A Qu.
Garma is definately dead alright, but you couldn't tell it from looking. Hrist is putting a lot of energy into Garma today so that he looks prim, proper, powerful, permanent, and all too real.
"FOR ZEON!" Garma cries over his intercom. Perhaps if he wasn't a completely naive twit, he'd be wondering why his brother wasn't acting with more surprise at his return and why it seems to just amuse him. But he is a completely naive twit, even after the betrayal. It has shaken his heart, but not broken it. One might wonder if he ever obtains a realist perspective.
He flies forward, arms blazing as he tries to connect a transmission to the Kogane and-The ReGelg!
Garma laughs as if meeting an old friend again,
The Zaku extends an arm forward as if in a show of comradery. Hrist takes note that she should probably realize the spirit still had allies in the current Zeon. Well, it should be interesting at least. Heroes usually are.
Then there is some hesitation in his voice as he adds,
"A pity," Master Asia says as he straightens, ready for battle. "I see few worthy challenges. I expected more from the Divine Crusaders. Still..." the old man turns his head toward the line of Musai-class cruisers. "...I can always whet my appetite for the feast to come."
The Master Gundam pulls away from the Dolos, thrusters blazing as it cuts across space toward the Zeon lines. <> he broadcasts to his allies. <> The Master's hands rise up, plates sliding back from the Gundam's palms to reveal twin laser cannons, which he fires at any Mobile Suits that happen to get between him and his prey.
The first rifle shot aimed for her squadron doesn't connect. It flies wide, glowing away into the abyss, but the next few shots connect. Hollis' aim is certainly respectable, as he manages to pick off the evident squadron leader - only that lead mobile suit differs, the whole of its beam sword's casing housing a painted silver scythe.
<> The Dra-C from the far right swings wide, lifting up the beam rifle and firing a return volley at the navy-blue Gelgoog Marine.
<> Isa Reichert herself is next to turn and fire on Hollis, whirling her mobile suit around in a vernier-assisted about-face. Several shots are fired. The left-hand mobile suit squares up beside her, and the rear mobile suit turns to assist the one that had been on the right.
In sum, all four of them are now firing at Hollis Jumaro's sleek Gelgoog Marine. Something seems off, though. Their shots aren't as expert as the other mobile suits on this battlefield, as though awkward. These machines are foreign to them - they're accustomed to technology long since antiquated on this plane...
The Republican army at least has one thing going for them: their mobile suits are generally a bit more modern than Gihren's loyalist forces. The rockets wipe out a few of them, but others prove more maneuverable. Gelgoog Marines and Galbaldys alike fire away with beam weapons and rockets of their own.
As the ghost of Garma Zabi speaks out over the radio Shin doesn't say anything. He's quite startled, though not enough to take his eyes off the space in front of him. He can't possibly be hearing who he thinks he's hearing.
Perhaps this is what Master Asia was talking about - the past coming back to haunt him.
"Your brother lost his claim to Zeon's glory when he murdered his own father. As for you, you're nothing more than an old ghost to me."
The transmission is broadcast to the Kogane, as well. The bridge crew listen; all nod or express some small sign of agreement. So major a ship does require a handpicked crew. A few of the mobile suits in the defense line do falter a little, though, the sentiment certainly not shared. Out in the middle of the fighting, a Gelgoog Marine suddenly pivots and blasts a Guarlion to smithereens; a couple of Galbaldies turn and lay into another Gelgoog. Here and there, defectors begin to crop up as members of the Third Fleet throw their support to the Zabis.
Shin's teeth grind as he sweeps into the fray, slashing through one of Gihren's Rick Doms. "Stand firm!" he shouts into the comline. "Gihren Zabi murdered his father in cold blood! Your loyalty is to the legitimate government of Zeon! STAND FIRM!"
Even as mobile suits clash through space, supported by the firepower of Musais and Chivvays as well as missiles from A Baoa Qu itself, the White Wolf whips the ReGelg past another standard Gelgoog and slashes through it, making a beeline towards the Zondarized Bigro. Soaring in above the strange machine, Shin whips out his beam rifle and fires a pair of shots down towards the base of one of the huge condorlike wings.
Meanwhile, the Kogane is maneuvering closer to the Dolos. Its E-field crackles as some stray beam fire hits it, but the huge carrier is otherwise not damaged.
Commander Jessad watches through the main viewscreen, standing in front of the command chair. The voice of Garma Zabi was unexpected indeed, enough to cut her and the crew to the quick - yet the White Wolf's handpicked command staff are not about to defect so easily.
"Tactical," she orders, her voice firm and resonant. "Target the source of that transmission. Let's see if we can hit it with a torpedo."
"Aye-aye," parrots a young Zeon lieutenant. "Loading torpedo bay one! Loading bay two! Target locked in! Fire one and two! Torpedoes away!"
A pair of projectiles erupt from launchers mounted far forward on the Kogane's hull. The heavy torpedoes, while not the carrier's most powerful weapon, nevertheless cover the most range. Lancing through space like twin sharks, they glom in on dead-Garma's mobile suit, explosive payload seeking to silence the ghost of an era long past.
"Damn, the new units designed at Axis!" Hollis growls, as he sees the surprising speed that the Dra-C's can muster. Beam rifle blasts shoot across space, and he begins putting his Gelgoog Marine through the ropes. He is no Newtype, and not quite an ace, but he does not fair poorly - the pilot banks around, hard to one side, so a volley of beam blasts shoots past. Then, he swings his beam rifle down and causes the Gelgoog to sail a little overhead, as he draws a bead on the head of Geist 2's Mobile Suit.
A thin lance of beam energy fires, right for it. Three more pass it, and those do catch the Gelgoog Marine, as Isa herself scores a hit - as well as some of her squadmates. Isa's holes through one shoulder, causing some sparks but no severe damage. The others are near misses, leaving deep scalds in the armor.
Aboard the Dolos, a tense calm has asserted itself. One Zeon commando sits down in the chair, as the dead captain floats out of it. "Has the crew remained loyal?" he asks one of his fellows.
"Most, but not all. We have some fighting in the hangars, but most of the pilots are eager to serve," the other man states. "It seems the crew rotation wasn't done."
"That bodes well for us," the lead commando says. He frowns, before he eyes the Dolos. He nods his head. "Take aim with the mega particle cannons, and fire!"
"Yes sir!"
The massive cannons on the Dolos swivel - and the Kogone may get a brief warning flash across its screen, as the weapons lock onto it. There is a flash; a warning, and then, several long lances of light rip across space and towards the stolen Space Noah-class ship.
One of the shots rings true, hitting the outspread wing and taking out some of the mounted guns-which weren't on the original Bigro, of course, but neither were the wings. The other wing stays intact, although Pizza shudders faintly in pain. When he's merged directly with a machine like this, it feels like an extension of his own body.
The Bigro condor turns its head to face Shin, the monoeye focusing. It almost looks like it has a pupil. It loops upwards and then soars towards the White Wolf, wings pulling back against the body as it attempts to fly straight into Shin Matsunaga. The voice of Pizza speaks over the radio. "Your resistance is interesting, but useless. I am the King of the Sky, and the stars are but part of my kingdom!"
"What?" Garma doesnt close the connection just yet, he sounds honestly surprised. And that's because he is. Such information had been kept from him. "I can't believe...you'd spout off such slander, Matsunaga!" That is likely not surprising, Garma was always trusting-But his naive honesty may continue to infect and create defectors. Perhaps this is why he was deployed rather than Hrist's more powerful servants-or the Valkyrie herself. Like most of his family, Garma can orate-and his plainspeaking nature doesn't help matters.
"Look ta what has happened to Zeon! Losing every battle to the IPA, the Federation! I say it is not the Federation that defeated Garma! It was a traitor who threw me to the dogs through deceit and lies! The reliance of treachery to dictate Zeon's future will prove to be it's own undoing!" He might be right there, but of course-where is the treachery? Missiles lance out for Garma's mobile suit, and perhaps this would be enough to destroy a Zaku.
But Garma is stronger since then. Perhaps not wiser, but he has grown in strength. With twin slashes of his hatchets, the missiles explode harmlessly around his mech! For the most part. It does seem to be solid, there are scorch marks where the heat of the explosions made their mark, but he isn't about to lie down and die to prove his veracity.
"Matsunaga!" He shouts, "We'll see now who has the spirit to lead Zeon! Will I be able to convince you in battle?"
He flies for Shin's mech, his shoulder cannon opening up with a spread of weaponsfire for his machine-perhaps he thinks the defeat of Matsunaga will save lives-or he wants to save his through defeat.
Master Asia spins away from a charging Guarlion, nodding approvingly at how close the pilot managed to come to him. He rewards the Crusader by pursing it at top speed. The two juke and dive, but the Gundam's left hand suddenly snakes out ward as the Guarlion makes a tight turn, pink energy cloth slipping around it, binding the limbs tight as Master Asia soars in. The Gundam's right hand flashes down to the main thrusters, jerking and tearing them from the mecha's body.
"Well done," the old man compliments his desperate opponent. "But not well enough."
The Master Gundam turns toward the nearest Musai class, energy building as the Gundam suddenly surges forward, cutting a line across space, making as if to use the Guarlion as a ram to break into the cruiser. "Fear not, warrior!" Master Asia roars. "Your friends shall not long mourn your passing!"
<> Geist One's frantic warning comes with a volley of rifle fire at the Gelgoog Marine. Back, ye foul beast! The spray of fire is poorly-aimed, though, and meant only to distract.
Geist Two tries to jet out of the way, but the energy rounds blast into one of his shoulders. The bulky pauldron contains little more than the vernier engines needed for mobility. Several of them, in fact.
And it looks like several of them explode on impact. Dominic cringes in his cockpit as the cockpit systems blare warnings. He brings his Dra-C around, though, narrowing his eyes at the displays. Was it really necessary to put so much junk on the HUD?
<> Dominic grates. <>
<> Isa's already positioning her mobile suit, trying to fire off another shot. They seem to be favoring the ranged weapons, as though uncertain about moving into close quarters.
<> Isa's command is crisp and cool as she moves to support the wounded Geist Two. The shoulder pod crackles ominously, but the mobile suit still seems to be able to function. The mobile suits marked '502' and '503' raise their rifles, aiming for the Gelgoog Marine. The two marked '504' and '505' seek to try and jet behind Hollis, attacking from behind with raking salvos of beam rifle rounds.
Shin does not like Zondars very much at all. Bernie Wiseman's experience cemented that particular dislike quite firmly.
As the winged Bigro-condor loops around, the smaller and nimbler Regelg flips to face it, albeit upside down; it tips heels over head, slinging its beam rifle in exchange for the White Wolf's favoured weapon, a large beam saber. The captain of the DC narrows his eyes behind his faceplate, Newtype senses twinging as the beastly mobile armour charges him. Yet he holds his ground. Foolishly? Perhaps.
At the last possible second the ReGelg's skirt boosters activate, pushing it downwards just a couple of meters. As the winged Bigeo passes it does connect, but not solidly - it hits the ReGelg's calf cowling, ripping away a big chunk of paneling. The damage may not have been in the plan, but the risk Shin took certainly has its benefits, for as the condorian Zondar swoops past the ace he is able to slash his beam saber violently across the belly of the machine, aiming to rip into its guts!
"Frankly, Zondar, you can take your kingdom and stick it straight up your ass," he shoots back shortly. Yet before he can say anything more his senses twinge - as do his ears, full as they are of Garma's blustering.
The ReGelg whips around with a sudden movement, verniers roaring as Matsunaga darts into a series of whirling evasive maneuvers. It's not quite enough to evade all damage; a few of Garma's bullets do pepper one of the shoulders. They're answered with a round of eight small missiles, rising from the backpack of the ReGelg to whirl towards Garma in a blossoming flower. "You know, Garma," he says, his voice cool and cutting. "Your brother Dozle had a lot of faith in your intelligence and character. I thought you'd know better than to jump on board with the murderous Zondars and Sinistrals."
Master Asia equipped a Guarlion!
"Son of a bitch!" shouts the Guarlion pilot - a woman - as she's snagged and ploughed into the poor Musai cruiser. The sonic breaker is fortunately not activated, but the Guarlion's hull does crush through the dorsal surface of the Musai's bow, smashing a huge hole into its primary launch bay. Alarm klaxons go off, the light cruiser lurching in space, weapons firing blindly.
Yet it seems Master Asia is not alone; a second Guarlion comes roaring out of the fray. This one's toting a railgun. As it skims by, the jetlike armoured module twists and fires a pair of crackling shots towards Master Asia's flank.
"Master Asia," comes a crisp female voice. It belongs to a pretty blonde woman with angular eyes and aristocratic features.
"I'll be your opponent," says Leona Garstein, all ascowl.
"Not one for words? No matter." The beam saber cuts a deep gash in the condor's belly. Part of it starts healing right up, wires pulling against other wires to knit the hole closed as it demonstrates Zondarian regeneration. However, some of the damage remains, proof perhaps that merely battering the body will be enough to stop Pizza. Eventually.
It swoops around again in an arc, much like an actual condor circling its prey. The mono-eye trails and watches the defending Zeon forces, focusing in and out. The Zondar is a rather eerie sight overall, looking like something manmade and yet entirely alien-if far less haphazard than a standard Zondar Robo. The head points downwards, and it swoops again, attempting to slash at Shin with those razor-sharp claws that were once the Bigro's "hands."
Fire from the Dolos pummels the Kogane's hull, the E-field crackling and surging. As the ship rumbles beneath the mega particle barrage, Jessad catches herself on the arm of her chair to keep from stumbling.
"They fired on us!" shouts a lieutenant. "The Dolos has opened fire on us!"
"Then it's true," Staffel growls. "They've captured the Dolos."
Jessad throws herself into her chair with a sullen thump, hands squeezing the arms. "All units, assume the Dolos to be an enemy ship and attempt to disable. If they've gained control of even a fraction of its mobile suits, we're in trouble." She nods briskly. "Tactical, return fire. Target the launch bays. See if you can't disable some of those catapults. We don't want to deal with a hundred and eighty more insurgents."
"Aye, sir," parrots a crewman.
Turning a bit to broadside, the Kogane presents its huge flank for a moment. Triple-barreled mega particle cannons, taking the place of impact cannons, swivel into action. Heavy blue beams lance through space, pounding towards the Dolos' upper launch catapults with a barrage of heavy firepower.
Hollis, when in doubt, decides to charge forward. The Gelgoog Marine blitzes towards 502 and 503 as they fire - and with verniers firing and energy blasts screeching by him, as he makes tight and controlled turns, he dives the Gelgoog downward. It turns, hard and fast into a spiral, and moves for them. The beam rifle is disepsened with; instead, the Mobile Suit's beam saber comes to life.
Six meters of nimble, graceful energy erupt from it, as Hollis moves for the damaged Dra-C. He swipes hard, trying to cleave off the bottom thrusters of the Mobile Suit.
Unfortunately, he was not ready for the Dra-C's from behind. He planned to turn and take them - but he comes too late, as several bursts of energy hole through his Gelgoog. The left arm is shorn off, and the armor shot through in places. "Damn," Hollis swears, as he sees the damage readings shoot across his main monitor.
The Dolos comes under fire - several blasts rip into the catapults. The fighting was worst there; mechanics scream and shout, pouring assault rifle fire into MS pilots trying to take their suits and fight for their returned leader. This is over in an instant. "Wait, energy readings are spiking!" a wounded mechanic screams. "They're-"
The lance of blue energy dissolves them all, into ash, in the blink of an eye. It rocks the rest of the Dolos, and on the bridge, the commando-turned-captain scowls. "Damn... return fire!" he shouts, as the mega particle cannona thunder again. This time, though, the volley is joined by more - some fire from the Gwazine-class cruiser that Gihren is on.
The eldest Zabi smiles. "Don't think I'll let you damage my Dolos!"
Hrist remains...gone.
Garma hesitates at Shin's words, and pulls up short-which turns out to be in his advantage as there are tons of missiles flying at him. He manages to pivot so the explosives only hit his side rather than straight on, but the explosion is still good enough to send the mech spinning down. "Agh!" Garma cries.
He spins his mech, aiming it forward towards The ReGelg and speeding up again, hoping to slash at it with his hatchet-if he gets in close, The ReGelg may be in trouble.
"I don't know about my intelligence-to have so eagerly supported someone who wished for and received my death!" Garma cries, "You talk about my brother, but you spit upon our family name! You said you cared not for me, but now you wish to shake my confidence! Which is it?"
The Master Gundam straightens atop the bow of the cruiser, raising its right hand to direct a final blow into the shp's interior. The second Guarlion's shots, however, ring off the Gundam's shoulder and bite into its side, sending the dark machine floating away from the capital ship, the old man inside raising an eyebrow at the woman's pronouncement. Interesting. "Access Divine Crusader files, identify target," he commands his computer as he turns his Gundam to face Leona.
A bold one, she is - it's a start.
<> he asks softly. <> The Gundam's right fist rockets forward, deploying from a cable and zipping across the vacuum toward the Guarlion's chest.
Again the Bigro-condor comes swooping in for the attack, and the White Wolf of Solomon finds himself pressed from two sides even as the battle between ships and mobile suits rages behind him - yet somehow he is able to keep from losing it. Though at a very visceral level he's afraid of what could happen if he and the Crusaders fail to hold A Baoa Qu, that emotion is being pushed aside by battlefield resolve, duty, courage, and above all the calm that comes from experience - not to mention a determination to keep his little daughter Mineva safe from the return of Old Patricide himself. Focused, letting his Newtype senses aid his maneuvers, Matsunaga rolls the ReGelg in space, not quite quickly enough to avoid the Bigro's claws leaving an ugly rent across the shoulder of the white mobile suit. A vernier flickers for a moment before reactivating itself, systems taking some damage. The impact doesn't stop the White Wolf from again slicing with the beam saber, this time aiming to cleave into one of those wicked talons as the Zondar swoops by.
"I'm one for actions, Zondar. That's MY language."
And then he comes around, beam saber at the ready. The laser blade meets the hatchet dead-on, catching it in mid-strike and holding it at bay for a moment. Garma Zabi may not know this, but Shin Matsunaga is a melee combat specialist.
"You're wrong, you know," he says almost clinically. "I had great respect for your brother, as I had respect for your father and all of his children. But Gihren killed your father. He turned the Solar Ray on him and vapourized him in an instant. Actions...."
Chest verniers suddenly flare, the ReGelg pushing backwards with a sharp movement - and its left arm snaps forwards, a wrist launcher spitting a grenade towards the chest of Gihren's Zaku.
"...don't lie!"
Though damaged, Geist Two isn't crippled. Dominic tries to swerve his mobile suit out of the way, but the gesture comes too late. The beam saber cleaves into the right thruster, triggering an explosion that rocks the mobile suit.
Damage readings and an alarm in the cockpit screech, a mechanized voice declaring damages in a tone too calm for the situation.
<> Domino tries to regain control of the Dra-C, but it seems reluctant to maneuver any more. With half its vernier engines and one major thruster gone, it's a sitting duck. <>
<> Ancel swoops in, beam saber flaring up in the gloom. Though he doesn't attack Hollis right away, he's ready to defend his wingman.
<> Isa leans forward, tightening her grip on the mobile suit's varied controls. This would have already been done if she were in her jets, she reflects bitterly. The sleek Dra-C units would not have come to such damage.
She triggers her own beam scythe, apparently heedless of the dangers of battling a mobile suit ace in his element. Fear was never a very useful deterrant, for her.
She sends her Dra-C sprinting forward, straight for Hollis' Gelgoog Marine. Her sprint is augmented by beam rifle fire from her wingmen on the other side, where Geist Two and Geist Four wait.
Geist Three seems to be waiting on standby, but her beam rifle is aimed for the Gelgoog Marine. She only waits for a clean shot, without danger of hitting their squadron leader.
<>
With a roared warcry, Isa rushes for with the Gelgoog Marine, aiming a vicious slash for him with the glowing saber. It lacks grace or finesse, but she doesn't care about grace or finesse; she cares about knocking this one out so she can move on to the next enemy unit. The Divine Crusaders have plenty of those, at the moment.
Geist One: Isa Reichert roars a warcry. "Let us be blessed with glory as we cross the Gates of Hell!"
Mega particle fire pummels the Kogane. The ship rocks violently beneath the dual barrage, the E-field flickering wildly as it attempts to deflect or negate the firepower from both the Dolos and the Gwazine-class warship. Yet though the stolen Space Noah is a huge ship, battling a supercarrier and a battleship is a bit of a stretch.
Gripping the arms of her command chair, Commander Jessad glares as the window on the monitor displaying the transmission from Gihren Zabi. "That ship is the property of the Republic of Zeon," she snaps back automatically. "You surrendered your claim to that ship when you fired the Solar Ray on your own father!"
Quickly she slashes her thumb across her throat, and the transmission is cut by a pretty ensign. "Switch to targeting the Dolos' weapons! Homing missiles lock in! Mobile suit squadron one, focus on the Gwazine!"
A spread of homing missiles lofts from the beleaguered Kogane. They split off in various directions, barrages of explosives glomming in on a few of the Dolos' big mega particle turrets. Meanwhile, out of nowhere a group of five Gelgoogs shows up, beginning to pound the Gwazine with beam rifle fire and a couple of sturm fausts.
The Musai is crippled; Master Asia has seen well to that. Leona of the Troye Unit doesn't seem cowed, however, hiding whatever fear she may feel behind calm and focus. Cousin Elzam would never back down from battle with a traitor, nor leave innocents to die.
As the fist of the Master Gundam shoots forth, the Guarlion dips to the right, booster rockets aflare. The blow connects semi-solidly, denting the armour of the Guarlion's left shoulder and activating a couple of warning lights. Yet the jetlike armoured module is far from defeated; Leona whips the machine around, chest-mounted autocannons blazing to belch a hailstorm of bullets towards the Master Gundam. A couple of jets activate, putting some distance between the Troye pilot and the Undefeated of the East; she is far too smart to try and melee Master Asia.
"Very well," she says simply, though there's a note of steel in her words. "See for yourself what a Troye can do, Undefeated of the East."
In the background there's a large explosion; fire from Gihren's loyalist forces has ripped through one of the Republican Musais, slicing it in half at the neck. The light cruiser seems to fold in on itself, fire ripping from gaping wounds in its lower hull, before detonating in a plume of blue coolant flame.
"Something I can respect!" This time, the bird flies deftly out of the way, retracting its clawed talons. The mono-eye illuminates as the Zondar seems to retreat further back, putting distance between it-him-and Shin Matsunaga. What's he up to?
The long neck extends as the "mouth" opens up, a glint of light hinting at a rapidly charging beam. Pizza is still able to speak over the radio, as that isn't really his mouth. "Our reasons for allying with humans are none of your business. However, know that if we have chosen a side, that side will see victory. We may lose temporarily, but we always come back!"
With that, the thick white beam fires, sweeping across to attempt to hit anything within its range.
"The only one crossing the Gates of Hell will be you," Hollis retorts coolly. The Colonel swings to the side - the beam scythe slashes through space as his verniers bring him away from the beam blasts to his left. The ones to his right nick the armor here and there, leaving more half-melted scares on the blue and silver Mobile Suit. The beam saber then swings, as he tries to cut deep into Isa's Dra-C.
After all, he was always better at melee - they have him where he excels, now.
"I am the Principality of Zeon," Gihren replies coldly to Jessad. He crosses his arms over his chest, as he looks at her. "I see you wish to join my father in treason. Open fire, second barrage!"
The beam cannons open fire again, huge bursts of energy streaking across space and at the Kogane. However, sturm faust rounds rip into the Gwazine's armor a moment later; they rock the ship, causing Gihren to scowl. "Point defenses! FIRE!"
Autocannons and missiles open up, shooting at the Gelgoogs engaging them.
The Dolos, on the other hand, finds some of its cannons taken out. The commando scowls, as he looks at his men. "Are the other hangars ready to launch?!"
"Not yet, sir! 30 seconds!"
"Damn... fire torpedoes!" he barks. Several torpedoes launch, firing off at the Kogone. His crews lack the concentration for the kind of pinpoint bomardment; after all, the hallways of the ship still have gunfights going on inside of them.
The Master says, "Between you and me."
The Master says, "They really shouldn't be letting me touch all these buttons."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Please just concentrate on killing the Horsemen."
The Master heh heh heh.
Hrist is still nonpresent, but her presence is not.
What's a Solar Ray may be what Garma is thinking. Garma pushes up against the laser blade. For a melee specialist, The Regelg seems eager to keep Garma at bay-which is what Garma was expecting, likely thinking he's trying to avoid a battle with that hatchet. "Shield!" He cries-And one materializes from him in the free hand of the Zaku. He twists the shield in front of the grenade and blocks it-the explosion washing around the Zaku.
"Aggh!" Garma complains, "It's not supposed to be like this!" He doesn't get Gihren's transmissions. It would sure be a shocker if it did! "We're supposed to be fighting the dogs from Earth! You must have been deceived!" The irony!
That doesn't stop him from fighting however-but he does something surprising. He throws the tomahawk-for the ReGelg's chest plating-a reckless move, but what does Garma have to lose? He's already dead.
The Master Gundam's right arm is busy retracting, but the left flashes out in rapid side-to-side movements, deflecting some of the railgun bullets away from its body. Others puncture the machine's torso, small puffs of air escaping into the void before the auto-repair systems can seal the breaches.
The word 'Troye' coincides with the unit's file appearing onscreen, the computer matching Leona Garstein's voice to the registered print of the unit's subcommander. "All-female unit," Master Asia mutters, then shakes his head. "Just like women to miss the point of elite units completely."
The black Gundam begins to give chase, left hand extended and firing energy bolts in the Guarlion's direction. The right hand stays back at the Gundam's side, trailing out a thin stream of that pink energy cloth, nearly as thin as a thread. Some of the laser blasts are aimed for the fleeing Crusader, but other barrages attempt to direct her away from the outskirts, back toward the heart of the battle.
This may be suspicious.
Milla isn't much of a politician. She bites back a knee-jerk response to Gihren Zabi. Bakharov and Matsunaga supporter she may be, but even she served so long under the Zabis that it's difficult to snap back at one of them. Especially the most charismatic Zabi of all.
The Gelgoogs prove fairly agile; one is destroyed by the autocannon fire, but the others continue to dip and weave, firing their beam rifles in a constant regimen of harassment. The beam fire hits the E-field, a couple streaks bleeding through to burn the ship's armour. And then the torpedoes from the Dolos sail towards the Kogane. Anti-aircraft machineguns blaze, bullets pegging a few of the missiles out of the void; the rest smash into the E-field, one of them penetrating to leave a scorched rent in the Kogane's armour. Klaxons go off all over the ship, and a steel shutter clamps down over the hull breach, sealing it from the inside.
As the ship rumbles and the alarms wail, Jessad gives her head a firm shake, then glares forward. "XO! Are there any functioning catapults aboard the Dolos?"
"Affirmative, sir," the blond man shouts back over the alert signals. "They're preparing to launch!"
"I've got an idea! Marines to the dropships! Dom squads 5 and 6, enter those launch bays! Gelgoogs to covering positions! Lock the main guns on the Gwazine and fire!"
And indeed, things change. The Kogane's huge main guns rip towards Gihren Zabi's command ship - while six Dom Funfs shoot in from the battle nearby, machine guns in hand. They blitz through the firestorm around the Kogane... and they attempt to land inside the Dolos' catapults, aiming to enter the ship itself and take the fight to the insurgents inside!
<> Her roar of response is fury. Shin won't support these Zeon defectors, and neither will she. Patricide is for the barbarians. <>
The Geist Squadron's flight lead is quick to correct her course when she swings right past Hollis. She wrenches the Dra-C around, beam weaponry flaring.
She seems to welcome the blow, shouldering aggressively into it. Her beam saber leads, trying to score a deep thrust against the handsome navy and silver Gelgoog Marine.
<> Domino's warning is nervous, and he keeps his rifle leveled, firing every time he's given opportunity. Ancel holds a similar position, but his attention is focused purely on Hollis' mobile suit.
Liese hovers at the outset of the melee, though, waiting until the Gelgoog Marine turns its back to her. She rushes in with her own beam saber flaring to life, glowing phosphorus green against the blackness. <> Her statement is calmer than her flight lead, but there's an odd quality to her voice. <>
<> Isa rasps, aiming another brutal slash towards the Gelgoog Marine. <> Her voice rises into another roar, though she... laughs? <>
To the success of our hopeless task!
...It's actually a toast, but it does well enough for a warcry, too. It is a hopeless task, to battle a mobile suit ace on his own turf, in machinery they're wholly not acclimated to. But impossible odds... that seems to be what the Geist Squadron's all about.
WHEN: Mar 7 2008
WHERE: Sci-Fi Sector - Side 3 Space / A Baoa Qu
WHAT: With the assistance of Gihren Zabi and his renegade Zeon forces, the Horsemen attack the Zeon space fortress A Baoa Qu. Unprepared for such a large-scale assault, Shin Matsunaga scrambles the Divine Crusaders and available Syndicate members for the defense - but the Syndicate is wholly outnumbered...
WATCH FOR: Everything!
MISSING TAGS: Gihren Zabi
Sci-Fi Sector - Side 3
In the year Universal Century 0079, the orbital nation known as the Principality of Zeon declared its independence from the Earth Federation, prompting the devastating One Year War. Side 3 is the location of Zeon, at the second Lagrange Point (L2), placing it on the far side of the Moon and out of sight of the Earth. It consists of some hundreds of orbital colonies, and the asteroid space fortress A Bao A Qu.
Each colony is a large, cylindrical spacestation holding roughly a million people, powered by a mixture of nuclear and solar energy. Within each colony, cities can be found, complete with manufacturing and commercial elements. Following the destruction of the STMC War, Zeon has fallen under the democratic government of Darcia Bakharov. With Zeon and the Earth Federation largely depleted, they no longer are at war, but tensions remain high between the two countries.
Contents:
A Bao A Qu
Pizza
Hrist Valkyrie
Gihren Zabi
Shin Matsunaga
Space Noah-class Carrier Kogane
Master Asia
Side 5 - Shoal Zone
Obvious exits:
tmospheric Reentry leads to Sci-Fi Sector - Mount Kilimanjaro.
tardock leads to Sci-Fi Sector.
The space around A Bao A Qu is quiet. After all, since the end of the One Year War and the following STMC War, the space fortress has seen little direct battle. However, it remains an important line of defense for Zeon and the homeland. The colonies of Side 3 can be seen in the distance, mostly as little points of light. It is known that if A Bao A Qu falls, then Side 3 would soon follow; the Battle of Loum proved that battles amidst colonies are a certain path to extinction.
But, right now, no one would attack A Bao A Qu itself. This is common wisdom.
And yet, not all is as it seems. Several ships are approaching A Bao A Qu; Zeon warships, which appear to be returning on patrol. There is an exception; Hollis Jumaro and Gihren Zabi stand at the bridge of the Gwazine-class cruiser in the lead. Zabi frowns, as he taps a finger. "Bay 16," he states. "We'll broadcast the coordinates there."
"Yes, sir," Hollis replies, relaying the order. Then, he turns, and looks at Gihren. "We're ready to launch, sir. And the distraction is in order."
Gihren smiles. "Good. The Dolos-class is our ace in the hole. Now, to just play our wild card..."
On the bridge of the Dolos, there is a shout. A Bao A Qu command gets a brief burst of static and the first part of the shout - before a 9mm round shoots into the communications console. The Zeon tech at it stands, looking surprised and backward, before the next bullet takes him between the eyes. The Captain opens his mouth, as well. "What-what is the meaning of-"
More armed soldiers rush through the bridge, turning their guns downward, and open fire, shooting into the captain and riddling him with bullets. One commando leaps, then, and falls down near the communications console. "Supreme Commander Zabi, we have the Dolos!"
Then, within Bay 16 of A Bao A Qu, there is a flash of light. A pillar of energy bursts upward... and lizardmen appear, snarling and rushing into the nearby guards. More shouts come to A Bao A Qu's command, as the sounds of gunfire and snarls can be heard. The pillar also remains - a steady teleportation beacon, ready for any Horseman to take into the bowels of the asteroid space fortress.
Shin Matsunaga says, "Damn it. We're under attack at A Baoa Qu. Looks like Horsemen."
Doctor Doom says, "Hmm. Doom has wished to observe their power for some time. I will assist you."
Shin Matsunaga says, "The fourth fleet's out on maneuvers. All available Crusaders, scramble in whatever isn't currently occupied. We'll have to hold off their ships while their foot troops are dealt with inside."
Geist One: Isa Reichert growls something, but she sounds anticipatory; predatory. "Send us. We will teach them a thing or two, da? We have been itching for battle since the Round Table."
Shin Matsunaga says, "...Acknowledged, Doctor."
Amid the fleet, something curious emerges.
At one point, it was a Zeon Bigro Mobile Armor. This, however, only vaguely resembles the clawed mobile armor-the talons remain, acting as the "feet" of a long-necked, winged, condor-like machine with a single eye that glows behind a pointed "mask." Green and orange, it speeds forward at a surprisingly rapid pace, boosted by whatever tranformation it has undergone. The mono-eye scans the area, and it rushes towards A Bao A Qu with gleaming claws.
A voice transmits over a radio. Is it from a pilot? There doesn't appear to be a pilot controlling the mutant Mobile Armor. "Humans, surrender! Return A Bao A Qu to its proper owners. Such is the will of the MACHINE KINGS!"
The Master tsk, "Well, if you're brutally conquered, I'll lose a fortune on that Captain Zeon cartoon I'm financing..."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Get ready to enjoy your pending riches, then."
A light blossoms from behind the Dolos as the trap is sprung, metal armour folding away from the body of a dark Gundam and coalescing into a pair of wings. Yellow eyes flare to life as the Master Gundam pulls in alongside the ship's bridge. The Undefeated of the East nods once in the direction of Jumaro, then smiles and begins stretching out his legs.
"So this is A Bao A Qu," he rumbles, smiling softly. "Aaah, White Wolf...you can run no further."
In the other plane, Hrist communicates with Garma again. "Your brother is here." She tells him, "On the Dolos. Will you support him this time?"
"Against Zeon...?" Garma murmurs, "Your bargains become the devil's, Valkyrie."
"Is Zeon in the name or in the spirit, Garma?" Hrist smiles, "If it's in the name, we can stay away, but if it's in the spirit..."
And that's all that needs to be said. A familiar Zaku, equipped with a tomahawk and shoulder gun, appears near the Zolos as if summoned-and indeed, you could call it that-by magic.
Garma Zabi synchs up through the Horsemen frequency through Hrist. He thinks about how Zeon had remembered him as a great war hero after his death-how would they, he wonders, see him now!
He sends a transmission to the Horsemen and seems just about ready to charge ahead to do battle once again.
Hrist remains out of sight for the time being.
So I was right, Shin Matsunaga thinks bitterly to himself as he leaps into the cockpit of the white ReGelg standing in the Kogane's dorsal launch bay. The patricide and his insane friends are trying to gain control of Zeon again. And me without a UC Alliance up my sleeve.
Indeed, the Horsemen couldn't have picked a worse time to strike. As he runs through the preflight process, the Captain scowls grimly, mentally crunching numbers. The Fourth Fleet is outsystem on maneuvers, leaving only the Third Fleet, and a good chunk of the DC Elite are still assigned to the Belkan front. The lines of defense are not as strong as they could be - and there was certainly no way to expect attackers inside A Baoa Qu itself. "Smart son of a bitch," he mutters. The attack was certainly well timed on the part of the Zabis.
He flicks on his comline. "Crusader One to all pilots! Scramble in whatever units are available. The Fourth Fleet's being recalled; we have to hold the Horsemen here until reinforcements can arrive." A grim note creeps into his voice, and he scowls - yet it's a scowl of determination. "We're a little outgunned, but that's never stopped us before. Launch!"
A green light pings somewhere in the distance, and the launch catapult activates, hurling the ReGelg from the Kogane's hangar.
Indeed, the huge black and gold carrier is one of the ships present, forming the core of the asteroid fortress' line of defense. Musai-class light cruisers seem to make up most of the force, along with a couple of heavier Chivvay battleships and a whole slew of mobile suits. These are largely modern models - Gelgoogs, Gelgoog Marines, and some of the new Galbaldy and Dom Funf types. The line was largely in place already - yet the sudden shocks of news running around the battlefield seem to have thrown the Zeons into some disarray.
"We've lost contact with the Dolos!" shouts the lovely Commander Jessad, darting across the Kogane's bridge to the master display console. "Unable to raise the ship!"
"Could the ship be under attack from inside?" muses Lieutenant Commander von Staffel, the tall blond man scratching his chin. "The Dolos is one of the linchpins of the defensive line, and it WAS Admiral Gihren's pet project-"
"Admiral nothing," the green-haired woman snaps. "That man is disgraced."
"Yes sir. Ma'am."
Milla's brows knit. "Nevertheless, you may be right." She turns to the comm officer. "Ensign, transmit to the fleet. Maintain defensive positions. Scharnhorst, take our post. Kogane will assume position in Grid 13 to cover the Dolos."
The orders go out, and even as the White Wolf of Solomon shoots from the Kogane with a swarm of mobile suits rising around him, the Kogane begins to sail towards the Dolos, the huge Space Noah carrier relinquishing its current position to the steel-grey Tivvay-class cruiser Scharnhorst.
From the ReGelg, Shin looks towards the Dolos with a scowl. Perhaps it's just a communication error. Perhaps not.
"All units prepare to engage," he barks into his radio. "Let's show them what the REAL Zeon is all about!"
Four spacecraft speed in towards the combat area, part of the cloud of mobile suits attending the White Wolf of Solomon. Relatively sleek as far as mobile suits run, these are obviously built for speed and interception. The four MS-21C "Dra-C" craft fly in a loose diamond formation, but there's something wrong.
None of them bear standard colors. Neither the blue and gray of the Delaz Fleet, nor the flat gray of Axis are on these. Instead, they're all painted a solid matte black, dark enough to swallow the surrounding stars, select panels on the undersides painted in bright reflective silver. Yellow serial numbers are painted on the outside of the left of each long, heavy thrusters - '502,' '503,' '504,' and '505.'
The Geist Squadron has arrived.
Isa Reichert is silent, this time, occupied with familiarizing herself with the controls as quickly as possible. She's had a chance to pilot it in preparation for space battles, but this isn't her usual craft. The Fulcrums simply can't operate out of the atmosphere. No amount of tweaking or upgrading would make it so.
<>
<>
<>
<>
Looks like they're all ready, weapons primed and waiting for a target. They follow Shin's white ReGelg, for the moment, but the Geist Squadron is prepared to split off wherever they're needed.
<
> Isa can't help but grumble, after a few moments, single blue eye glued to her radar equipment. <>
Shin Matsunaga says, "Geist Squad, are the Dra-Cs handling alright?"
Geist One: Isa Reichert statics for a moment, before answering clearly. "Communications synched. Engines, good. Weapons systems, primed." There's a short pause. "Da! We are handling fine." Her grin is audible. "And we are ready for them."
Doctor Doom says, "Master - I have located the interlopers. Temporal coordinates will be uploaded to your TARDiS."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Good luck, everyone; we'll have our work cut out for us. Looks like they've brought a lot of firepower in that battle group. I'm also picking up the Master Gundam and... what looks like a Zondarized Bigro."
"All forces..." Gihren says, with a smile crossing his face, "attack!" The commander's shout goes out through the radio waves. The hangars of the approaching squadron of ships open - and out fly numerous Gelgoogs and Rick Doms, with some old Zaku II's thrown in for good measure. The Rick Doms unleash the first wave; many of the approaching loyalist Zeon forces find rockets hurtling towards them from their large bazookas, as Gihren crosses his arms over his chest.
Hollis Jumaro looks at him, reverence in his eyes. The grey-eyed Colonel nods his head. "Sir," he says, "I'll be launching."
"Of course, Colonel Jumaro," the man answers. Hollis turns, starting down the way. After a few moments, another MS bursts from the hangar - a sleek Gelgoog Marine, painted in a dark blue with silver highlights. The Mobile Suit twists around, raising its knuckle shield, and then aims for one of the Dra-C units in Isa's squadron. Hollis narrows his eyes - and then looses a beam rifle blast through space, shooting at one of them!
Geist Three: Liese Lustig says, "Heads up! We've got company...! Geist Three, engaging!"
Geist One: Isa Reichert snarls, over the sound of something impacting and cockpit warnings. "Geist Squadron, engage! Take that son of a bitch down."
Pizza, in his own Zondar Robo form, soars through space as he leaves a faint yellow energy trail. The glow of Minovsky particles is strangely absent-what he's using as a power source is unknown. Unlike the animalistic, zombie-like Zondars powered by human cores, he remains every bit himself-able to fit into this new body with ease. It gives him a feeling of exhilaration, a mental adrenaline shot even if not a physical one.
Some part in the back of his mind distantly wonders why this is so familiar. The thought is dismissed-of course it's familiar. He is a Zondar. All of them can do this.
The condor hovers for a moment, spreading out its wings to reveal a series of gun turrets. With a birdlike screech, Pizza sends a barrage of glittering, blinding green laser fire towards the forces protecting A Bao A Qu.
Garma is definately dead alright, but you couldn't tell it from looking. Hrist is putting a lot of energy into Garma today so that he looks prim, proper, powerful, permanent, and all too real.
"FOR ZEON!" Garma cries over his intercom. Perhaps if he wasn't a completely naive twit, he'd be wondering why his brother wasn't acting with more surprise at his return and why it seems to just amuse him. But he is a completely naive twit, even after the betrayal. It has shaken his heart, but not broken it. One might wonder if he ever obtains a realist perspective.
He flies forward, arms blazing as he tries to connect a transmission to the Kogane and-The ReGelg!
Garma laughs as if meeting an old friend again,
The Zaku extends an arm forward as if in a show of comradery. Hrist takes note that she should probably realize the spirit still had allies in the current Zeon. Well, it should be interesting at least. Heroes usually are.
Then there is some hesitation in his voice as he adds,
"A pity," Master Asia says as he straightens, ready for battle. "I see few worthy challenges. I expected more from the Divine Crusaders. Still..." the old man turns his head toward the line of Musai-class cruisers. "...I can always whet my appetite for the feast to come."
The Master Gundam pulls away from the Dolos, thrusters blazing as it cuts across space toward the Zeon lines. <> he broadcasts to his allies. <> The Master's hands rise up, plates sliding back from the Gundam's palms to reveal twin laser cannons, which he fires at any Mobile Suits that happen to get between him and his prey.
The first rifle shot aimed for her squadron doesn't connect. It flies wide, glowing away into the abyss, but the next few shots connect. Hollis' aim is certainly respectable, as he manages to pick off the evident squadron leader - only that lead mobile suit differs, the whole of its beam sword's casing housing a painted silver scythe.
<> The Dra-C from the far right swings wide, lifting up the beam rifle and firing a return volley at the navy-blue Gelgoog Marine.
<> Isa Reichert herself is next to turn and fire on Hollis, whirling her mobile suit around in a vernier-assisted about-face. Several shots are fired. The left-hand mobile suit squares up beside her, and the rear mobile suit turns to assist the one that had been on the right.
In sum, all four of them are now firing at Hollis Jumaro's sleek Gelgoog Marine. Something seems off, though. Their shots aren't as expert as the other mobile suits on this battlefield, as though awkward. These machines are foreign to them - they're accustomed to technology long since antiquated on this plane...
The Republican army at least has one thing going for them: their mobile suits are generally a bit more modern than Gihren's loyalist forces. The rockets wipe out a few of them, but others prove more maneuverable. Gelgoog Marines and Galbaldys alike fire away with beam weapons and rockets of their own.
As the ghost of Garma Zabi speaks out over the radio Shin doesn't say anything. He's quite startled, though not enough to take his eyes off the space in front of him. He can't possibly be hearing who he thinks he's hearing.
Perhaps this is what Master Asia was talking about - the past coming back to haunt him.
"Your brother lost his claim to Zeon's glory when he murdered his own father. As for you, you're nothing more than an old ghost to me."
The transmission is broadcast to the Kogane, as well. The bridge crew listen; all nod or express some small sign of agreement. So major a ship does require a handpicked crew. A few of the mobile suits in the defense line do falter a little, though, the sentiment certainly not shared. Out in the middle of the fighting, a Gelgoog Marine suddenly pivots and blasts a Guarlion to smithereens; a couple of Galbaldies turn and lay into another Gelgoog. Here and there, defectors begin to crop up as members of the Third Fleet throw their support to the Zabis.
Shin's teeth grind as he sweeps into the fray, slashing through one of Gihren's Rick Doms. "Stand firm!" he shouts into the comline. "Gihren Zabi murdered his father in cold blood! Your loyalty is to the legitimate government of Zeon! STAND FIRM!"
Even as mobile suits clash through space, supported by the firepower of Musais and Chivvays as well as missiles from A Baoa Qu itself, the White Wolf whips the ReGelg past another standard Gelgoog and slashes through it, making a beeline towards the Zondarized Bigro. Soaring in above the strange machine, Shin whips out his beam rifle and fires a pair of shots down towards the base of one of the huge condorlike wings.
Meanwhile, the Kogane is maneuvering closer to the Dolos. Its E-field crackles as some stray beam fire hits it, but the huge carrier is otherwise not damaged.
Commander Jessad watches through the main viewscreen, standing in front of the command chair. The voice of Garma Zabi was unexpected indeed, enough to cut her and the crew to the quick - yet the White Wolf's handpicked command staff are not about to defect so easily.
"Tactical," she orders, her voice firm and resonant. "Target the source of that transmission. Let's see if we can hit it with a torpedo."
"Aye-aye," parrots a young Zeon lieutenant. "Loading torpedo bay one! Loading bay two! Target locked in! Fire one and two! Torpedoes away!"
A pair of projectiles erupt from launchers mounted far forward on the Kogane's hull. The heavy torpedoes, while not the carrier's most powerful weapon, nevertheless cover the most range. Lancing through space like twin sharks, they glom in on dead-Garma's mobile suit, explosive payload seeking to silence the ghost of an era long past.
"Damn, the new units designed at Axis!" Hollis growls, as he sees the surprising speed that the Dra-C's can muster. Beam rifle blasts shoot across space, and he begins putting his Gelgoog Marine through the ropes. He is no Newtype, and not quite an ace, but he does not fair poorly - the pilot banks around, hard to one side, so a volley of beam blasts shoots past. Then, he swings his beam rifle down and causes the Gelgoog to sail a little overhead, as he draws a bead on the head of Geist 2's Mobile Suit.
A thin lance of beam energy fires, right for it. Three more pass it, and those do catch the Gelgoog Marine, as Isa herself scores a hit - as well as some of her squadmates. Isa's holes through one shoulder, causing some sparks but no severe damage. The others are near misses, leaving deep scalds in the armor.
Aboard the Dolos, a tense calm has asserted itself. One Zeon commando sits down in the chair, as the dead captain floats out of it. "Has the crew remained loyal?" he asks one of his fellows.
"Most, but not all. We have some fighting in the hangars, but most of the pilots are eager to serve," the other man states. "It seems the crew rotation wasn't done."
"That bodes well for us," the lead commando says. He frowns, before he eyes the Dolos. He nods his head. "Take aim with the mega particle cannons, and fire!"
"Yes sir!"
The massive cannons on the Dolos swivel - and the Kogone may get a brief warning flash across its screen, as the weapons lock onto it. There is a flash; a warning, and then, several long lances of light rip across space and towards the stolen Space Noah-class ship.
One of the shots rings true, hitting the outspread wing and taking out some of the mounted guns-which weren't on the original Bigro, of course, but neither were the wings. The other wing stays intact, although Pizza shudders faintly in pain. When he's merged directly with a machine like this, it feels like an extension of his own body.
The Bigro condor turns its head to face Shin, the monoeye focusing. It almost looks like it has a pupil. It loops upwards and then soars towards the White Wolf, wings pulling back against the body as it attempts to fly straight into Shin Matsunaga. The voice of Pizza speaks over the radio. "Your resistance is interesting, but useless. I am the King of the Sky, and the stars are but part of my kingdom!"
"What?" Garma doesnt close the connection just yet, he sounds honestly surprised. And that's because he is. Such information had been kept from him. "I can't believe...you'd spout off such slander, Matsunaga!" That is likely not surprising, Garma was always trusting-But his naive honesty may continue to infect and create defectors. Perhaps this is why he was deployed rather than Hrist's more powerful servants-or the Valkyrie herself. Like most of his family, Garma can orate-and his plainspeaking nature doesn't help matters.
"Look ta what has happened to Zeon! Losing every battle to the IPA, the Federation! I say it is not the Federation that defeated Garma! It was a traitor who threw me to the dogs through deceit and lies! The reliance of treachery to dictate Zeon's future will prove to be it's own undoing!" He might be right there, but of course-where is the treachery? Missiles lance out for Garma's mobile suit, and perhaps this would be enough to destroy a Zaku.
But Garma is stronger since then. Perhaps not wiser, but he has grown in strength. With twin slashes of his hatchets, the missiles explode harmlessly around his mech! For the most part. It does seem to be solid, there are scorch marks where the heat of the explosions made their mark, but he isn't about to lie down and die to prove his veracity.
"Matsunaga!" He shouts, "We'll see now who has the spirit to lead Zeon! Will I be able to convince you in battle?"
He flies for Shin's mech, his shoulder cannon opening up with a spread of weaponsfire for his machine-perhaps he thinks the defeat of Matsunaga will save lives-or he wants to save his through defeat.
Master Asia spins away from a charging Guarlion, nodding approvingly at how close the pilot managed to come to him. He rewards the Crusader by pursing it at top speed. The two juke and dive, but the Gundam's left hand suddenly snakes out ward as the Guarlion makes a tight turn, pink energy cloth slipping around it, binding the limbs tight as Master Asia soars in. The Gundam's right hand flashes down to the main thrusters, jerking and tearing them from the mecha's body.
"Well done," the old man compliments his desperate opponent. "But not well enough."
The Master Gundam turns toward the nearest Musai class, energy building as the Gundam suddenly surges forward, cutting a line across space, making as if to use the Guarlion as a ram to break into the cruiser. "Fear not, warrior!" Master Asia roars. "Your friends shall not long mourn your passing!"
<> Geist One's frantic warning comes with a volley of rifle fire at the Gelgoog Marine. Back, ye foul beast! The spray of fire is poorly-aimed, though, and meant only to distract.
Geist Two tries to jet out of the way, but the energy rounds blast into one of his shoulders. The bulky pauldron contains little more than the vernier engines needed for mobility. Several of them, in fact.
And it looks like several of them explode on impact. Dominic cringes in his cockpit as the cockpit systems blare warnings. He brings his Dra-C around, though, narrowing his eyes at the displays. Was it really necessary to put so much junk on the HUD?
<> Dominic grates. <>
<> Isa's already positioning her mobile suit, trying to fire off another shot. They seem to be favoring the ranged weapons, as though uncertain about moving into close quarters.
<> Isa's command is crisp and cool as she moves to support the wounded Geist Two. The shoulder pod crackles ominously, but the mobile suit still seems to be able to function. The mobile suits marked '502' and '503' raise their rifles, aiming for the Gelgoog Marine. The two marked '504' and '505' seek to try and jet behind Hollis, attacking from behind with raking salvos of beam rifle rounds.
Shin does not like Zondars very much at all. Bernie Wiseman's experience cemented that particular dislike quite firmly.
As the winged Bigro-condor loops around, the smaller and nimbler Regelg flips to face it, albeit upside down; it tips heels over head, slinging its beam rifle in exchange for the White Wolf's favoured weapon, a large beam saber. The captain of the DC narrows his eyes behind his faceplate, Newtype senses twinging as the beastly mobile armour charges him. Yet he holds his ground. Foolishly? Perhaps.
At the last possible second the ReGelg's skirt boosters activate, pushing it downwards just a couple of meters. As the winged Bigeo passes it does connect, but not solidly - it hits the ReGelg's calf cowling, ripping away a big chunk of paneling. The damage may not have been in the plan, but the risk Shin took certainly has its benefits, for as the condorian Zondar swoops past the ace he is able to slash his beam saber violently across the belly of the machine, aiming to rip into its guts!
"Frankly, Zondar, you can take your kingdom and stick it straight up your ass," he shoots back shortly. Yet before he can say anything more his senses twinge - as do his ears, full as they are of Garma's blustering.
The ReGelg whips around with a sudden movement, verniers roaring as Matsunaga darts into a series of whirling evasive maneuvers. It's not quite enough to evade all damage; a few of Garma's bullets do pepper one of the shoulders. They're answered with a round of eight small missiles, rising from the backpack of the ReGelg to whirl towards Garma in a blossoming flower. "You know, Garma," he says, his voice cool and cutting. "Your brother Dozle had a lot of faith in your intelligence and character. I thought you'd know better than to jump on board with the murderous Zondars and Sinistrals."
Master Asia equipped a Guarlion!
"Son of a bitch!" shouts the Guarlion pilot - a woman - as she's snagged and ploughed into the poor Musai cruiser. The sonic breaker is fortunately not activated, but the Guarlion's hull does crush through the dorsal surface of the Musai's bow, smashing a huge hole into its primary launch bay. Alarm klaxons go off, the light cruiser lurching in space, weapons firing blindly.
Yet it seems Master Asia is not alone; a second Guarlion comes roaring out of the fray. This one's toting a railgun. As it skims by, the jetlike armoured module twists and fires a pair of crackling shots towards Master Asia's flank.
"Master Asia," comes a crisp female voice. It belongs to a pretty blonde woman with angular eyes and aristocratic features.
"I'll be your opponent," says Leona Garstein, all ascowl.
"Not one for words? No matter." The beam saber cuts a deep gash in the condor's belly. Part of it starts healing right up, wires pulling against other wires to knit the hole closed as it demonstrates Zondarian regeneration. However, some of the damage remains, proof perhaps that merely battering the body will be enough to stop Pizza. Eventually.
It swoops around again in an arc, much like an actual condor circling its prey. The mono-eye trails and watches the defending Zeon forces, focusing in and out. The Zondar is a rather eerie sight overall, looking like something manmade and yet entirely alien-if far less haphazard than a standard Zondar Robo. The head points downwards, and it swoops again, attempting to slash at Shin with those razor-sharp claws that were once the Bigro's "hands."
Fire from the Dolos pummels the Kogane's hull, the E-field crackling and surging. As the ship rumbles beneath the mega particle barrage, Jessad catches herself on the arm of her chair to keep from stumbling.
"They fired on us!" shouts a lieutenant. "The Dolos has opened fire on us!"
"Then it's true," Staffel growls. "They've captured the Dolos."
Jessad throws herself into her chair with a sullen thump, hands squeezing the arms. "All units, assume the Dolos to be an enemy ship and attempt to disable. If they've gained control of even a fraction of its mobile suits, we're in trouble." She nods briskly. "Tactical, return fire. Target the launch bays. See if you can't disable some of those catapults. We don't want to deal with a hundred and eighty more insurgents."
"Aye, sir," parrots a crewman.
Turning a bit to broadside, the Kogane presents its huge flank for a moment. Triple-barreled mega particle cannons, taking the place of impact cannons, swivel into action. Heavy blue beams lance through space, pounding towards the Dolos' upper launch catapults with a barrage of heavy firepower.
Hollis, when in doubt, decides to charge forward. The Gelgoog Marine blitzes towards 502 and 503 as they fire - and with verniers firing and energy blasts screeching by him, as he makes tight and controlled turns, he dives the Gelgoog downward. It turns, hard and fast into a spiral, and moves for them. The beam rifle is disepsened with; instead, the Mobile Suit's beam saber comes to life.
Six meters of nimble, graceful energy erupt from it, as Hollis moves for the damaged Dra-C. He swipes hard, trying to cleave off the bottom thrusters of the Mobile Suit.
Unfortunately, he was not ready for the Dra-C's from behind. He planned to turn and take them - but he comes too late, as several bursts of energy hole through his Gelgoog. The left arm is shorn off, and the armor shot through in places. "Damn," Hollis swears, as he sees the damage readings shoot across his main monitor.
The Dolos comes under fire - several blasts rip into the catapults. The fighting was worst there; mechanics scream and shout, pouring assault rifle fire into MS pilots trying to take their suits and fight for their returned leader. This is over in an instant. "Wait, energy readings are spiking!" a wounded mechanic screams. "They're-"
The lance of blue energy dissolves them all, into ash, in the blink of an eye. It rocks the rest of the Dolos, and on the bridge, the commando-turned-captain scowls. "Damn... return fire!" he shouts, as the mega particle cannona thunder again. This time, though, the volley is joined by more - some fire from the Gwazine-class cruiser that Gihren is on.
The eldest Zabi smiles. "Don't think I'll let you damage my Dolos!"
Hrist remains...gone.
Garma hesitates at Shin's words, and pulls up short-which turns out to be in his advantage as there are tons of missiles flying at him. He manages to pivot so the explosives only hit his side rather than straight on, but the explosion is still good enough to send the mech spinning down. "Agh!" Garma cries.
He spins his mech, aiming it forward towards The ReGelg and speeding up again, hoping to slash at it with his hatchet-if he gets in close, The ReGelg may be in trouble.
"I don't know about my intelligence-to have so eagerly supported someone who wished for and received my death!" Garma cries, "You talk about my brother, but you spit upon our family name! You said you cared not for me, but now you wish to shake my confidence! Which is it?"
The Master Gundam straightens atop the bow of the cruiser, raising its right hand to direct a final blow into the shp's interior. The second Guarlion's shots, however, ring off the Gundam's shoulder and bite into its side, sending the dark machine floating away from the capital ship, the old man inside raising an eyebrow at the woman's pronouncement. Interesting. "Access Divine Crusader files, identify target," he commands his computer as he turns his Gundam to face Leona.
A bold one, she is - it's a start.
<> he asks softly. <> The Gundam's right fist rockets forward, deploying from a cable and zipping across the vacuum toward the Guarlion's chest.
Again the Bigro-condor comes swooping in for the attack, and the White Wolf of Solomon finds himself pressed from two sides even as the battle between ships and mobile suits rages behind him - yet somehow he is able to keep from losing it. Though at a very visceral level he's afraid of what could happen if he and the Crusaders fail to hold A Baoa Qu, that emotion is being pushed aside by battlefield resolve, duty, courage, and above all the calm that comes from experience - not to mention a determination to keep his little daughter Mineva safe from the return of Old Patricide himself. Focused, letting his Newtype senses aid his maneuvers, Matsunaga rolls the ReGelg in space, not quite quickly enough to avoid the Bigro's claws leaving an ugly rent across the shoulder of the white mobile suit. A vernier flickers for a moment before reactivating itself, systems taking some damage. The impact doesn't stop the White Wolf from again slicing with the beam saber, this time aiming to cleave into one of those wicked talons as the Zondar swoops by.
"I'm one for actions, Zondar. That's MY language."
And then he comes around, beam saber at the ready. The laser blade meets the hatchet dead-on, catching it in mid-strike and holding it at bay for a moment. Garma Zabi may not know this, but Shin Matsunaga is a melee combat specialist.
"You're wrong, you know," he says almost clinically. "I had great respect for your brother, as I had respect for your father and all of his children. But Gihren killed your father. He turned the Solar Ray on him and vapourized him in an instant. Actions...."
Chest verniers suddenly flare, the ReGelg pushing backwards with a sharp movement - and its left arm snaps forwards, a wrist launcher spitting a grenade towards the chest of Gihren's Zaku.
"...don't lie!"
Though damaged, Geist Two isn't crippled. Dominic tries to swerve his mobile suit out of the way, but the gesture comes too late. The beam saber cleaves into the right thruster, triggering an explosion that rocks the mobile suit.
Damage readings and an alarm in the cockpit screech, a mechanized voice declaring damages in a tone too calm for the situation.
<> Domino tries to regain control of the Dra-C, but it seems reluctant to maneuver any more. With half its vernier engines and one major thruster gone, it's a sitting duck. <>
<> Ancel swoops in, beam saber flaring up in the gloom. Though he doesn't attack Hollis right away, he's ready to defend his wingman.
<> Isa leans forward, tightening her grip on the mobile suit's varied controls. This would have already been done if she were in her jets, she reflects bitterly. The sleek Dra-C units would not have come to such damage.
She triggers her own beam scythe, apparently heedless of the dangers of battling a mobile suit ace in his element. Fear was never a very useful deterrant, for her.
She sends her Dra-C sprinting forward, straight for Hollis' Gelgoog Marine. Her sprint is augmented by beam rifle fire from her wingmen on the other side, where Geist Two and Geist Four wait.
Geist Three seems to be waiting on standby, but her beam rifle is aimed for the Gelgoog Marine. She only waits for a clean shot, without danger of hitting their squadron leader.
<>
With a roared warcry, Isa rushes for with the Gelgoog Marine, aiming a vicious slash for him with the glowing saber. It lacks grace or finesse, but she doesn't care about grace or finesse; she cares about knocking this one out so she can move on to the next enemy unit. The Divine Crusaders have plenty of those, at the moment.
Geist One: Isa Reichert roars a warcry. "Let us be blessed with glory as we cross the Gates of Hell!"
Mega particle fire pummels the Kogane. The ship rocks violently beneath the dual barrage, the E-field flickering wildly as it attempts to deflect or negate the firepower from both the Dolos and the Gwazine-class warship. Yet though the stolen Space Noah is a huge ship, battling a supercarrier and a battleship is a bit of a stretch.
Gripping the arms of her command chair, Commander Jessad glares as the window on the monitor displaying the transmission from Gihren Zabi. "That ship is the property of the Republic of Zeon," she snaps back automatically. "You surrendered your claim to that ship when you fired the Solar Ray on your own father!"
Quickly she slashes her thumb across her throat, and the transmission is cut by a pretty ensign. "Switch to targeting the Dolos' weapons! Homing missiles lock in! Mobile suit squadron one, focus on the Gwazine!"
A spread of homing missiles lofts from the beleaguered Kogane. They split off in various directions, barrages of explosives glomming in on a few of the Dolos' big mega particle turrets. Meanwhile, out of nowhere a group of five Gelgoogs shows up, beginning to pound the Gwazine with beam rifle fire and a couple of sturm fausts.
The Musai is crippled; Master Asia has seen well to that. Leona of the Troye Unit doesn't seem cowed, however, hiding whatever fear she may feel behind calm and focus. Cousin Elzam would never back down from battle with a traitor, nor leave innocents to die.
As the fist of the Master Gundam shoots forth, the Guarlion dips to the right, booster rockets aflare. The blow connects semi-solidly, denting the armour of the Guarlion's left shoulder and activating a couple of warning lights. Yet the jetlike armoured module is far from defeated; Leona whips the machine around, chest-mounted autocannons blazing to belch a hailstorm of bullets towards the Master Gundam. A couple of jets activate, putting some distance between the Troye pilot and the Undefeated of the East; she is far too smart to try and melee Master Asia.
"Very well," she says simply, though there's a note of steel in her words. "See for yourself what a Troye can do, Undefeated of the East."
In the background there's a large explosion; fire from Gihren's loyalist forces has ripped through one of the Republican Musais, slicing it in half at the neck. The light cruiser seems to fold in on itself, fire ripping from gaping wounds in its lower hull, before detonating in a plume of blue coolant flame.
"Something I can respect!" This time, the bird flies deftly out of the way, retracting its clawed talons. The mono-eye illuminates as the Zondar seems to retreat further back, putting distance between it-him-and Shin Matsunaga. What's he up to?
The long neck extends as the "mouth" opens up, a glint of light hinting at a rapidly charging beam. Pizza is still able to speak over the radio, as that isn't really his mouth. "Our reasons for allying with humans are none of your business. However, know that if we have chosen a side, that side will see victory. We may lose temporarily, but we always come back!"
With that, the thick white beam fires, sweeping across to attempt to hit anything within its range.
"The only one crossing the Gates of Hell will be you," Hollis retorts coolly. The Colonel swings to the side - the beam scythe slashes through space as his verniers bring him away from the beam blasts to his left. The ones to his right nick the armor here and there, leaving more half-melted scares on the blue and silver Mobile Suit. The beam saber then swings, as he tries to cut deep into Isa's Dra-C.
After all, he was always better at melee - they have him where he excels, now.
"I am the Principality of Zeon," Gihren replies coldly to Jessad. He crosses his arms over his chest, as he looks at her. "I see you wish to join my father in treason. Open fire, second barrage!"
The beam cannons open fire again, huge bursts of energy streaking across space and at the Kogane. However, sturm faust rounds rip into the Gwazine's armor a moment later; they rock the ship, causing Gihren to scowl. "Point defenses! FIRE!"
Autocannons and missiles open up, shooting at the Gelgoogs engaging them.
The Dolos, on the other hand, finds some of its cannons taken out. The commando scowls, as he looks at his men. "Are the other hangars ready to launch?!"
"Not yet, sir! 30 seconds!"
"Damn... fire torpedoes!" he barks. Several torpedoes launch, firing off at the Kogone. His crews lack the concentration for the kind of pinpoint bomardment; after all, the hallways of the ship still have gunfights going on inside of them.
The Master says, "Between you and me."
The Master says, "They really shouldn't be letting me touch all these buttons."
Shin Matsunaga says, "Please just concentrate on killing the Horsemen."
The Master heh heh heh.
Hrist is still nonpresent, but her presence is not.
What's a Solar Ray may be what Garma is thinking. Garma pushes up against the laser blade. For a melee specialist, The Regelg seems eager to keep Garma at bay-which is what Garma was expecting, likely thinking he's trying to avoid a battle with that hatchet. "Shield!" He cries-And one materializes from him in the free hand of the Zaku. He twists the shield in front of the grenade and blocks it-the explosion washing around the Zaku.
"Aggh!" Garma complains, "It's not supposed to be like this!" He doesn't get Gihren's transmissions. It would sure be a shocker if it did! "We're supposed to be fighting the dogs from Earth! You must have been deceived!" The irony!
That doesn't stop him from fighting however-but he does something surprising. He throws the tomahawk-for the ReGelg's chest plating-a reckless move, but what does Garma have to lose? He's already dead.
The Master Gundam's right arm is busy retracting, but the left flashes out in rapid side-to-side movements, deflecting some of the railgun bullets away from its body. Others puncture the machine's torso, small puffs of air escaping into the void before the auto-repair systems can seal the breaches.
The word 'Troye' coincides with the unit's file appearing onscreen, the computer matching Leona Garstein's voice to the registered print of the unit's subcommander. "All-female unit," Master Asia mutters, then shakes his head. "Just like women to miss the point of elite units completely."
The black Gundam begins to give chase, left hand extended and firing energy bolts in the Guarlion's direction. The right hand stays back at the Gundam's side, trailing out a thin stream of that pink energy cloth, nearly as thin as a thread. Some of the laser blasts are aimed for the fleeing Crusader, but other barrages attempt to direct her away from the outskirts, back toward the heart of the battle.
This may be suspicious.
Milla isn't much of a politician. She bites back a knee-jerk response to Gihren Zabi. Bakharov and Matsunaga supporter she may be, but even she served so long under the Zabis that it's difficult to snap back at one of them. Especially the most charismatic Zabi of all.
The Gelgoogs prove fairly agile; one is destroyed by the autocannon fire, but the others continue to dip and weave, firing their beam rifles in a constant regimen of harassment. The beam fire hits the E-field, a couple streaks bleeding through to burn the ship's armour. And then the torpedoes from the Dolos sail towards the Kogane. Anti-aircraft machineguns blaze, bullets pegging a few of the missiles out of the void; the rest smash into the E-field, one of them penetrating to leave a scorched rent in the Kogane's armour. Klaxons go off all over the ship, and a steel shutter clamps down over the hull breach, sealing it from the inside.
As the ship rumbles and the alarms wail, Jessad gives her head a firm shake, then glares forward. "XO! Are there any functioning catapults aboard the Dolos?"
"Affirmative, sir," the blond man shouts back over the alert signals. "They're preparing to launch!"
"I've got an idea! Marines to the dropships! Dom squads 5 and 6, enter those launch bays! Gelgoogs to covering positions! Lock the main guns on the Gwazine and fire!"
And indeed, things change. The Kogane's huge main guns rip towards Gihren Zabi's command ship - while six Dom Funfs shoot in from the battle nearby, machine guns in hand. They blitz through the firestorm around the Kogane... and they attempt to land inside the Dolos' catapults, aiming to enter the ship itself and take the fight to the insurgents inside!
<> Her roar of response is fury. Shin won't support these Zeon defectors, and neither will she. Patricide is for the barbarians. <>
The Geist Squadron's flight lead is quick to correct her course when she swings right past Hollis. She wrenches the Dra-C around, beam weaponry flaring.
She seems to welcome the blow, shouldering aggressively into it. Her beam saber leads, trying to score a deep thrust against the handsome navy and silver Gelgoog Marine.
<> Domino's warning is nervous, and he keeps his rifle leveled, firing every time he's given opportunity. Ancel holds a similar position, but his attention is focused purely on Hollis' mobile suit.
Liese hovers at the outset of the melee, though, waiting until the Gelgoog Marine turns its back to her. She rushes in with her own beam saber flaring to life, glowing phosphorus green against the blackness. <> Her statement is calmer than her flight lead, but there's an odd quality to her voice. <>
<> Isa rasps, aiming another brutal slash towards the Gelgoog Marine. <> Her voice rises into another roar, though she... laughs? <>
To the success of our hopeless task!
...It's actually a toast, but it does well enough for a warcry, too. It is a hopeless task, to battle a mobile suit ace on his own turf, in machinery they're wholly not acclimated to. But impossible odds... that seems to be what the Geist Squadron's all about.