|
Over a century ago, the mechanized forces of Edwin Rommel's Afrika Korp clashed with Bernard Montgomery's 8th Army on these very sands. The North African desert lay cluttered with the shattered hulls of various tanks and their dead crew. These tombs, half buried by sand, still protrude into the air; warning others of the blood spilled here. Then, three dark shadows flew past the modern killing machines of the past. The modern killing machines of today move on two legs and for the Desert Zakus, this meant two legs on jet skis. The expert pilots of the Pink Panther continue on their patrol, searching for any Federal incursions into the area. Suddenly, the leader stops and motions for the team to disengage their jet skis. The three Zaku Ds lay prone in the sand. On the horizon, a small cloud of sand is forming. Someone is approaching. They each reach for their H&L-SB25K 280mm Zaku Bazooka while two of them knelt down into firing position for their Leg Missile Launcher. Above them, a single Dish aircraft is flying formation with her two Jet Core Booster escorts. Below and behind them is the Big Tray-class Lackluster Fortune and her combat air patrol of five more Jet Core Boosters. Suddenly, the crew of the Dish aircraft started screaming about smoke columns and imminent missile threat. Their urgent warnings to the Lackluster Fortune is soon coupled with the alert of three Desert Zakus racing at the Big Tray. Daren Sanders burst onto the bridge of the Lackluster Fortune and before anyone said anything he knew they were intercepted by a Zeon patrol. His orders to scramble all Jet Core Boosters and mobile suits are soon met by the twin screaming engines of aircraft taking off. The squadron leader of the five Jet Core Boosters already in the air easily spotted the three Zeon mobile suits. Their 40mm anti-tank cannons tore up the sand around the Zaku D's as they made their strafing run. The Desert Zakus let off a salvo of bazooka rounds just as their Leg Missiles explode harmlessly around the Lackluster Fortune. They can see more aircraft lifting off from the Big Tray and the three of them kicked their jet skis into high gear and charged. One of them switched to their 120mm Zaku Machinegun and began blasting at the harassing aircraft. But the original five Jet Core Boosters now became eight and the poor Zeon pilot can't cover his comrade's advance much longer. The Desert Zaku's left jet ski caught in the sand and toppled over. The mobile suit came to a stop a hundred meters away. It finally exploded in a grand funeral pyre when armor piercing 40mm anti-tank rounds chewed it to bits. The remaining two Desert Zakus broke away from each other in order to split up the pursing aircraft. Suddenly, two blooms came from the Lackluster Fortune and the two 120mm howitzer shells near topple another Desert Zaku to the ground. The Guntank MPT rumbled on threads from another age and continued its interdiction bombardment. Two of Daren Sander's MS Team jumped down onto the desert sand and began running towards the Desert Zakus. The Gundam MPGT and the GM Ground cradle their 100mm machineguns as they close the distance. Very quickly, the two Desert Zakus have veered so far off course; they couldn't get any closer to the Big Tray. They began shooting their Zaku machineguns at whatever target got close enough and throwing their grenades in futile. One Desert Zaku received a direct 120mm round to its right knee and promptly fell on its rear. The pilot managed to empty the rest of his ammo drum at the aircraft above before the massive guns of the Lackluster Fortune dropped a broadside on him. The last and most experienced pilot of the Pink Panthers managed to get up and personal with the Gundam MPGT. Heat Hawk impacted against beam saber as the two mobile suits duel on the desert sand. All other forms of fire stopped; the two are too close together. Jet Core Boosters fly around like vultures; whoever dies first the Desert Zaku will die anyway. Suddenly, the Desert Zaku shoved the Gundam MPGT to the ground. Raising the Heat Hawk high, suddenly a gaping hole appears in the Desert Zaku's chest. The monoeye flashed and died out. Back on top of the Lackluster Fortune, the GM Sniper pats the Sniper Rifle and congratulates himself for a well-placed shot. Daren Sanders 8 VP gained, 1 days damage |