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Intrepid Assaults Lackluster Fortune "It was hell to find you out in this storm, sir," the pilot of the newly arrived Dish spoke through a haze of static. Around the reconnaissance craft flew fifteen Jet Core Boosters, six Depp Rog heavy bombers, and two Don Escargot fighter-bombers. "Glad you were able to. We'll have to wait for this storm to calm before we bring you in, though," Daren Sanders replied from the bridge of the Lackluster Fortune. "Keep an eye out up there though, there were four of those purple behemoths. At least two of 'em got away." "Roger that," was the response, the Dish and it's escorts gaining altitude as they began to circle the area around the Big Tray land battleship, covered in the storm. "Let's get some payback," SS Scharfuhrer Steve Myer spoke to the two Zaku II Ds and the Xamel following him. He'd asked for a refit for his Zaku Kai, but the Federal ambush had interrupted the process, which left his machine struggling in this sandstorm. He had interests in the area to protect, however, and the Federal force that had attacked the 302nd Combat Group the previous day was too great a threat to those interests to leave alone. Above the sandstorm, the Gaw Intrepid flew with it's three Dopp escorts. While it had survived the two previous ambushes by Federal forces with relatively minor damage, it's fighter compliment had taken heavy losses. "Keep your eyes open, we might not spot that Federal hovercraft until we run into it's skirt," Myer reminded his team as they spread into a picket line to increase chances one of them would spot the craft in the maelstrom. "Sir! Zeon carrier spotted heading in our direction!" the Dish commander shouted excitedly over the headset. Far below, Daren frowned as their trip to Gibralter would be stalled by this development. The GM Sniper already had it's Long Range Beam Rifle hooked to the external power cables leading to the Big Tray's reactor. "How many escorts?" Sanders asked, wondering if the ship was actively searching for him, or just patrolling. "I only count.. three Dopps. The rest may be in the storm though.." Even if they were in the storm, it was better to hit the Gaw before it got a chance to arbitrarilly carpet bomb the desert in an attempt to take out his own ship. Sanders wasted little time in giving the command for the Jet Core Boosters to engage the Dopps. "Sir! Priority message from Intrepid! Federal craft have engaged!!" the co-pilot of the Xamel, having the best equipment for receiving messages and least responsibility toward manuvering, shouted over the short-range communications system. "Dammit!!" Myer shouted, slamming a fist into the monitor on his right. "Find that damn ship before they can use that damn beam!!!" The Xamel and two Desert Zakus shot foward, each searching for the nearby Federal ship. The three veteran Dopp pilots had not gone quietly, the nimble craft managing to take out four of the attacking Federal fighter-bombers before being shot down themselves. With the limited fighter screen gone, the Gaw was left alone to fend off the strafing attacks of the Jet Core Boosters. Meanwhile, the Dish was relaying instructions to the GM Sniper on the deck of the Lackluster Fortune. Other than the instructions he was receiving, he was shooting completely blind. Definately not how he was trained, but you adapted in the field or didn't come home. "This is Longshot 1, firing now," the GM pilot stated, allowing the Dish time to tell the fighter pilots to clear out. From his Zaku, Myer saw the pink beam clearly through the obscuring sand and made quick mental calculations. Immediately after, he boosted his transmission power as far as it could go and relayed the coordinates to the Zaku II Ks that were entrenched nearby. Time to pay for the patriots you killed yesterday, Feddies... Even before the artillery could logically fire, he felt an explosion rumbling through his bones. The only problem was this was originating behind him, instead of the direction he was facing. Turning his Zaku Kai, he could make out a dull orange glow in the fierce sand swirls. "Sir, we've lost contact with Intrepid!" one of his Zaku II D pilots spoke as he skiied up to Myer's unit. He remained silent as he noticed the glow of the flames. On the bridge of the Lackluster Fortune, Daren braced himself as his ship was tossed by the incoming artillery fire, the helmsman frantically manuvering the giant floating ship away from the direction the Gaw had fallen. Grabbing ahold of the headset that had been knocked from his head, he shouted instructions to the Dish pilot. "All craft proceed to saturation bombing of area directly west of our last known position! We have to get the hell out of here!!" High above, the Depp Roggs broke formation and moved toward the target area and began dropping their payloads. Among the falling bombs, Steve Myer's Zaku Kai had finally ceased functioning in the heavy sands as a bomb had fallen nearby, knocking his unit over. His two subordinates helped to pick his unit up, setting it on the massive Xamel. "Sir, we have to fall back," the Xamel pilot spoke even as his mobile armor shot foward. Myer himself remained silent, the Federal ship having taken yet another Gaw full of Zeon patriots from this world. Daren Sanders: 10/2 VP gained, Lackluster Fortune now Heavily damaged. Steve Myer: 7 VP gained, 1 days damage Unterscharfuhrer Bishop Kratos clutch the controls to his mobile suit as his team of Zaku II Js marched forward slowly. While North Africa is gripped in torrential sandstorms, South Africa basked in remarkably good weather. The feet of the mobile suits sank into the fertile African soil as they stopped. The lead Zaku's monoeye swivels back and forth and signals that their target has changed direction. During their briefing, Kratos set strict rules for radio silence. Their quarry may be small but he is taking no chances. The four Zaku II's of Bishop Kratos team went prone with their 120mm machine guns locked and loaded. As they lay still, the South African landscape soon echoed with the squeaking of gears and tank threads. The six Type 61 tanks of the 15th Armored crept forward. Dirt splatters the sides of their armor skirts as they continue their patrol. Kratos watch them wander closer, clueless of the waiting Zaku II Js. He despises the little steel boxes. Especially after his last encounter with them and the Mexican Border Patrol on the North American continent. He mentally counted off the distance until he shouted over his radio to open fire. "Öffnen Sie Feuer!" The booming of the 120mm rounds being fired chased off wildlife in every direction. The shells pummel the ground around the 15th Armored. Two of the Type 61s immediately exploded and two more collided together as they return inaccurate fire. The two Type 61s couldn't dislodge themselves in time and exploded together as a burst of 120mm fire struck them. The last tank of the 15th Armored did an about face and retreated. Its twin cannons fire in futile. The shells fall far short of Bishop Kratos's position. The Unterscharfuhrer signaled the point Zaku II J to pursue. This is a good opportunity for prisoners and Kratos have a certain talent with them. But no sooner did the Zaku II stand up did a bright beam punched through its chest. Kratos barely notices the dead Zaku falling as the sound of jet engines puncture his headset. "Bravo and Delta flight, converge on coordinates. Weapons free." "Roger that November control, Bravo and Delta are weapons free." Above Bishop Kratos's team, two Earth Federation Dish aircraft orbit leisurely. One of them, codenamed November, is handling the aircraft of this ambush. The other, code named Orion, is organizing the mobile suits approaching the Zeon suits from the northwest and southeast. On the ground, two Type 74s (Sandy 1 and 2) with their ground sonar pistons engaged are tracking Bishop Kratos's team. It's a shame that the 15th Armored took more damage than they would have preferred. But the trap is sprung. Private First Class Tobias Kendrick Obrien leads the way with his GM S Type. Two Guntanks trail behind him, their howitzers opening fire on the still prone Zaku II Js. From above, ten Jet Core Boosters from the Big Tray-class Morrigan drop their bombs and missiles on Kratos's team. One of the Zaku IIs managed to roll over and point the 120mm machinegun upwards before bombs tore into its armor. An explosion told Kratos that his team is down to two Zaku II Js. They finally got on their feet and began moving southward, hopefully to safety. But the Type 74s guided Hector Lagrama, a GMPGT, and a GM to intercept Kratos. The other Zaku II J sprayed Hector's team with machinegun fire as Kratos advances with his heat hawk drawn. He tosses a grenade, forcing the EF team to stop. Kratos swung at Hector as the GMPGT stumbles backwards, its arm shield raised in defense. Then 90mm machinegun fire pelts Kratos's armor as the last team member of his MS team explode with a scream. Obrien's GM S Type lands behind him and punches Kratos in the face. With much credit to Kratos's skill, the Zaku doesn't fall but swung its heathawk hard at Obrien. But this time, Lagrama intercedes by punching the Zaku II in the side with the arm shield. Like a deadly dance couple, the two Earth Federation pilot showed the lessons learned of the duels they sparred together. Within a minute, Kratos's Zaku falls sideways. Smoke brewing from its missing left arm. The green armor riddled away from machinegun impacts. A bleeding Kratos pops the cockpit after the Zaku lands. He pulls himself out but falls twelve feet to the ground with an agonizing scream. A large piece of shrapnel has punctured his left thigh. Lying there, gritting his teeth, Bishop Kratos feels the ground rumble beneath him. Not with the footsteps of mobile suits but from the squeaking of tank threads. The crew of the last Type 61 of the 15th Armored steps out and brought the Zeon prisoner to Obrien and Lagrama. Bishop Kratos, 5 VP gained, Captured Tobias Kendrick Obrien, 7 VP, 1 days damage Hector Lagrama, 7 VP 1 days damage |