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Admiral Green Wyatt stood impassively upon the bridge of his picket fleet's flagship, the Hood, eyes upon the Zeon ship they had detected and begun to move to intercept. Turning toward the young officer manning the sensor station, he spoke calmly and crisply, as a Federal officer should. "Ensign, have we identified the ship yet?" Wyatt inquired. The young man at the sensor station looked up and toward his commanding officer. A relic of the old ways, Wyatt's fleet reflected his outdated battle strategy. While many fleet were being equipped with mobile suits and modified to carry greater numbers, Wyatt's fleet could easily have been from before the disaster at Loum. "Sir, I've never seen this type before. I've checked with known records, it appears to be a carrier ship my like our Columbus class." the Ensign replied, hoping his answer was sufficient to appease the higher ranking officer. "Very well. Launch our fighters and mobile suits in a screening force. Main batteries are to acquire target and fire as soon as we are in range." Wyatt turned and walked back to his command chair, the rest of the bridge crew doing as they had trained to do. "Damn... looks like we're not as lucky as I hoped..." Ross Howe grimaced as the Federal task force continued to gain ground. Hopefully this op would go as easy as the last one, the Zeon Newtype thought to himself. "Alright boys, looks like we're gonna have to earn our paychecks today. Don't let them close to the Saudi Arabia." Ross' Rick Dom launched toward the Federal fleet, the nine Zaku IIs behind him following, including one of the high performance models. The Federal picket force consisting of outdated Saberfish fighters, three GM Es, and a supporting force of ten Ball mobile pods met the charging Zeon force halfway, the Zaku IIs easily handling the outdated space fighters. The GMs though, were another story. The Federal pilots easily manuvered between the Zeon. Two of the Zaku II Fs were disabled by the pre-production models quickly, a third destroyed by 180mm canon fire. Howe felt the deaths of both sides somewhere in the back of his mind, the only thing he could relate it to was a cold breeze on the back of his skull each time it happened. As much as he longed to help the rookie pilots of the Johtunheim ship, he had more important matters to deal with. The Federal ships were nearing firing range, and if he wasn't able to stop them, he'd have no ride home. Deftly moving through the lines of anti-aircraft fire, the elderly pilot targetted the closest Magellan ship, the Hyperion. Six quick shots from his Giant bazooka, all targetting the foward gun turrets, and the majority of the ship's firepower was unable to be brought to bear on the lighter-armed Zeon ship. Turning toward the second Magellan, Ross grimaced as the foward guns light the bleak space up brightly as they fired. Glancing back toward the Saudi Arabia, the elder Newtype sighed in relief, the ship having avoided the glancing shots. A violent shudder brought Ross' attention back to the Hood, and the Zeon pilot resumed manuvering through the blankets of AA fire. The Wyatt Fleet had been slowed considerably, with the Hyperion's damage control teams working frantically to put out fires and seal bulkheads damaged by the Rick Dom's assault. Both the Hood and Invincible remained close to the ship, providing it with extra cover. Ross fired his two panzer fausts into the rear of the Hood and then retreated, having exhausted his weapons, mind, and body. "Zeon ship is out of firing range, Admiral. Hyperion is requesting assistance.." the Ensign at the sensor station reported. Wyatt was none too pleased that a single Zeon mobile suit had managed to delay the Fleet's advance so much, as well as cause such damage to one of his ships, as well as cause minor damage to his own flagship. "All forces halt pursuit." Wyatt commanded. It didn't matter what the Zeon did up here... Odessa had begun on Earth. Soon, Star One would begin, and then the pitiful colonian rebellion would be put to the end it should have been years ago. Ross Howe: 5/2 VP gained, +2 days damage Smoke still snakes into the sky above the old battlefield. The Austrialian landscape is still littered with craters and broken machines. The Earth Federal base Torrington has managed to fight off one attack but the Zeon are a persistent enemy. Hours before the next storm, six shadows make their way around the ruins. Lightly armed, these Zeon soldiers can only risk their mission during darkness. They hid as a Tin Cod flew by overhead in the night sky. About an hour before dawn, the squad finish their long trek. All around them are scattered mobile suit parts. These are the remains of the Efreet Custom and hopefully a clue to the fate of Private Eric Kyrion. Their search proves fruitless as the sun rises and the Zeon troops slip away into the shadows. "Where the HELL is that Myers??!!" Even though it is only the voice of Unterscharfuhrer Bishop Kratos on the radio, every Zeon personnel around to hear it cringed. Unlike them, this man doesn't fear the other Schutzstaffel. In fact, Kratos seem to treat the other Schutzstaffel more like entertainment than members of authority. But his current mood is unmistakable. He has been waiting in his Zaku II J, just as the plan said. The 237th Provisional Fleet is lying outside of Torrington's base range, just as the plan said. But once again, the plan DID NOT say that Unterscharfuhrer Steve Myer will NOT show up with any of his forces. He didn't believe the reports from the first strike on Torrington base, but apparently this is now fact. Well, Bishop Kratos is a combat soldier of the Duchy of Zeon and he can manage. There is a personal goal for his zealous attitude. If this attack on Torrington succeeds, then the long journey of redemption for his capture at Odessa will come to an end. Everything from ambushes to hunting down mercenaries to playing into the petty games of the Schutzstaffel has brought him to this climax. Now if only Torrington base can be brought to its knees. The Earth Federeal garrison of Torrington Base is elated by their successful defense against the recent Zeon attack. Their commanders are aware though, that the Zeon force that attacked them still have enough strength to follow up. Which is why the base's Type 74 is manned around the clock and an aerial Dish is always orbiting the base. It is through these preparations that brought Torrington Base to full alert within seconds. Repair crews scramble from their hasty construction jobs to man positions and to get the base's air force into the air. Soon the missile raid siren began wailing in earnest. Those who had someplace to duck under, did so. Others leap into craters or ran away from obvious targets. A valiant few brought the AA guns to bear as the long range missiles of the Jukons ended their flight and plummeted to the ground. Explosions nearly lift Torrington off its foundations. But the Type 74 and both Dish aircraft soon found the observing Acquy and the incoming Zeon air raid. Bishop Kratos used his position in the Schutzstaffel to requisition no less than a dozen Zeon Dopp fighters for this attack. The high performance fighters soon swoop down and dived at the EF aircraft coming up to meet them. Tin Cods and Dopps mingle in the intense dogfight as Fanfans, Deg Roggs, and Fly Mantas made their way clear of the crazy melee. As the EF air force got its formations together, the Type 74 on the ground is already guiding the line of Type 61s towards what it thought is to be the Zeon's main line of attack. The four Zaku II J MS Team advances in formation until the first volley of 150mm shells struck them. Behind them, the aquatic mobile suits of the 237th Provisional Fleet gave them cover fire. Kratos adjusts his sights as the line of tanks advances to meet him. The exchange of fire is bright and fierce. But then the EF tanks pop smoke grenades, obscuring his sight. The Zakus didn't understand why until the bombs started falling. The Type 74 guided the Dep Roggs on their bombing runs, using the ground sonar to zero them in. Very quickly, Kratos's advance turns into disarray as they tried to find the enemy in the choking smoke. But just like always, Kratos is trying to figure out how to get around nuisances. He orders the aquatic mobile suits to halt their covering fire and to try to find a way around. All in all, the Torrington base commanders are very proud of themselves. Not only did they held out against a combined arms attack but they are about to do it twice. Their resilence against attacks from the air, ground, and sea is no small feat. But successes as they are, always breed the most deady of posion: carelessness. They were so absorbed with the splendid defense in front of them that they neglect their most vulnerable flank. They got quite the education when the two Medeas on the Airfield blew up specatcularly. The Gesualdo collapses on itself, wings peeling open as the airframe is punctured by mega particle shots. The Z'Goks and Acquys quickly transform the Byrd into an enormous pillar of fire. The munitions and resources onboard added to the explosion and brought the EF defenders racing to cover this sector. The grand prize lay before the aquatic mobile suits: the crippled Big Tray, the Nelson. But then their fortunes are reversed. Screaming out of the clouds came five Fly Mantas. The fighter bombers strafed and bombed the Zeon MS, throwing off their intended attack on the Nelson. This brief interruption in the Zeon's momentum gave the EF defenders all they need to stiffen the line. Already, through the coordination of the two Dish aircraft, the Tin Cods wore down the Dopps with the help of AA and SAMS as the Depp Rogs continue to pound Kratos's MS Team. On the ground, the single Type 74 have the tanks moving under cover and are now providing targeting solutions for the base's cannons and mega particle cannons. The piercing shot of beam energy signals to Kratos that the initative is lost. Larger shells blew open the already batter ground under the Zaku's feet. The same goes for the stalled aquatic mobile suits. Since the beginning, the three Jukons kept a sustained missile barrage. It was this missile shower that eventually covers the Zeon force's limping retreat back to the sea. Bishop Kratos - 7 VP gained, 4 days damage Laurent Auclair - 7 VP gained, no damage |