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The African continent stretched from green horizon to green horizon. Contrasted against the blue sky, it is hard to imagine that a vast desert lies to the north. The noisy chorus of forest animals is quickly pierced by the unmistakable whine of jet engines. "This is Baker flight to Helios, forward flight path is clear of any visual contact." "We read you Baker Flight," spoke one of the Control Officers," confirm no visual contact." "Confirm, returning to flight formation." The EFGF 2nd Resupply Fleet is holding station in the southern part of the African continent. While this region has always been part of their control, the Federation crews of the 2nd Supply Fleet can tell that their leader wants to be elsewhere. The five Medeas cruise under the watchful eye of Helios; which is today's call-name for their Dish EWACs plane. It was under the Helios watchful eye that gave them the advantage. "Hard return! We're getting a hard return!" The excited shout caught everyone's attention as the Dish's extensive sensor systems went to overdrive. "Let's calm down everyone," encouraged the duty officer," give me a Minovsky density readout and energy pollution count." The numbers are repeated out loud to him, causing his frown to depend. It's about to get worse. Another technician shouts from his console. "Sir, you need to see this!" The officer is by his side quickly. "Check the dimensions of the return…" The technician is drowned over the duty officer's frantic cry to get all fighter planes into the air. He is Mujib Mohammad Shahryar, and he can feel the power of the Apsalus I's reactor pulsate through the bulk of the mobile armor. On his flanks are two Zeon Dopp fighters and a single Gunship Heli below him. He is still wincing from the questions they asked him on the ground. But that's behind him. Now is the time to make things go "boom". The rocket thrusters blew him forward with his aircraft escort trying to keep up. "Hammer and Eagle Flight are airbound." The duty officer leans over a computer screen. "Ok, have Baker Flight put themselves between the Medeas and the inbound. I want to vector in Hammer Flight from the north and Eagle Flight from the West-." "Sir! Possible two additional inbounds!" The duty officer is breathing down his neck a split second later. "WHERE?" The technician jabs a finger at the trailing end of the massive intruder, where Minovsky Particles were screwing over readings. "I'm getting consistent returns as if something is popping in and out of the interference." "Escorts… Get Hammer and Eagle Flight to visually confirm the inbounds. Now!" The left Dopp fighter raise his flaps a little as he advanced with the Apsalus I. The pilot's eyes are more on his fuel state than anything else. That is until he sees the jet trails of Hammer Flight easing towards him. "Oh jeez… Helios, this is Hammer Lead, we visually confirm large Zeonic weapon with Dopp escort!" "Copy that Hammer Lead," gulped the controller," engage hostiles." "You hear the man, someone get that Dopp's attention!" But they already did. The Dopps peel away from the much larger Apsalus I and began using their marginally superior speed to close in. The Tin Cods of Hammer Flight went to afterburner to close their distance. Vulcan gun fire from the Dopp forced two Tin Cods to duck under while the remaining two lifted and went after the Apsalus I. Two more from Eagle Flight went after the Apsalus while the rest duel with the Dopps. Shouts to launch missiles at the massive machine are soon greeted with eager replies. Each Tin Cod only carried two air-to-air missiles and eight of them went at Mujib. But the Arabian terrorist turned Zeon pilot is ready for this. He spun the Apsalus I as gracefully as the Minovsky Craft System allowed and erupted with the MCS energy pulse. The energy pulse rippled across the air, detonating the missiles and flipping around the Tin Cods. Their pilots fought to keep their craft from stalling but by then the Apsalus I is out of their gun range. Some of them didn't succeed and five Tin Cods struck African soil without ceremony. They soon found themselves exchanging places with the Tin Cods dueling the Dopps in order to get their comrades with missiles a chance at the Apsalus I. Mujib smiled at his successful evasion of the 2nd Supply Fleet's defenders. But his expert eyes squinted against the African sun to find the large…. Ah, there they are. Distinctive big box silhouettes are in the distance and he turns to dash at them-. Only to have his entire Apsalus I start spinning upwards as though someone punched it in the chin (if it had one). Disgusted, Mujib looked around him as he fought the woozy Minovsky Craft System. It was Baker Flight of five Tin Cods. Helios has held them back from the first wave to see how the intruder would respond and then sent them in smartly. The Apsalus on-board computer started spitting back damage report from the ten missile hits Mujib took to his front lower section where the MCS began. Suddenly he felt the light but persistent pinging of 25mm rounds against his armor. Sucking his teeth, he jerked the Apsalus I around on its rocket thrusters and demanded his Dopps return to him. But even these superior Zeonic fighters are faltering under the numbers of the Federation. Getting low on fuel, the pressure is on as one Dopp finally lost its wing and spiraled into the clouds. A pair of Tin Cods found the low flying Gunship Heli when they came down to strike at Mujib's underside. They instead chased after the rotary aircraft until it made a half kilometer long line of fire in the African jungle. With only one Dopp zipping around him trying to discourage the Tin Cods, Mujib tried to find an easy way out of the harassing swarm. Suddenly four explosions rocked him forward. The Tin Cods from Hammer and Eagle Flight who dueled with the Dopps first finally caught up with him. With one last longing look at the distant Medeas, Mujib pulled another trick out of his sleeve. Shouting at the Dopp pilot, the Apsalus I immediately dropped several hundred meters down. The Tin Cods eagerly gave pursuit. Then, in an enormous burst of the MCS energy plus, a large explosion surrounded the Apsalus I and the ground. The sound onslaught of particle energy encouraged the Tin Cod pilots with little resistance to break off. Frantic radio cries to gain altitude finally dies out several minutes later when the orbiting Dish sorted things out. The Tin Cods of the EFGF 2nd Supply Fleet cautiously pressed forward but never found the Apsalus I. The Zeonic attackers have slipped away. Which is all the better, for both the Tin Cods and the Dish need refueling and rearming. But none of the crews rest easy for they didn't know how far the enemy retreated. Or how it found them. Outcome: Federation victory Mujib Mohommad Shahryar: 8 VP gained, 4 days damage The Falmel floated slowly in high Earth orbit, the clear blue and green planet below. Captain Richard Fuhst watched the large cloud masses shifting across the planet's atmosphere from the Musai Scout Type's bridge. While he was a dedicated spacenoid, the Earth had always struck him as a beautiful place. "Captain, sir?" called one of the Musai's radar operators. "What?" Fuhst replied. The captain pushed off the far wall of the Falmel's bridge towards the officer's radar console. "I think I've got contacts," the operator said. "How many?" "I thin-," he began, before stopping. "Damnit, they've scattered M-particles. Definitely Federation units." "Fucking shit. Battle stations!" Fuhst yelled, and his crew moved into action. Men quickly donned their spacesuits and moved to their stations. The ship's five Zaku II Fs were deployed, each equipped with the standard 280mm bazookas. "Cameras have picked up movement!" another operator called out. Fuhst maneuvered across the bridge to the other computer console as the screen produced a series of stills. The Musai's advanced camera system had picked up several Salamis-class warships and support craft. "Yeah, it's the Federation alright," Fuhst announced. "Bring the ship to full speed, helm. Begin to take us to a lower Earth orbit." The five Salamis' of the Nasr Fleet streaked forward at breakneck speed, formed up in a loose "V" formation, with Arcaile Nasr's Sleipner in the lead. The Nasr Fleet was to attack a lone Musai in Earth Orbit, but the ship had managed to spot the Federation fleet before the fleet was able to break off into a pincer movement. "Damnit," Nasr cursed, slamming his fist down as his console screen showed the Musai powering its engines. "We can't flank the damn Zeek ship. We're going to proceed forward regardless. Don't even bother going around. "Acknowledged," replied Cherish Woods. Her wing of ten Saberfish Is, plus her own Saberfish II, led the fleet. Behind her fighters was another group of Saberfishs surrounding two large shuttles, each one filled to the brim with Federation marines. Behind this second wave of fighters were the fleet's mobile suits: a pair of GM Es, piloted by Candice Ro and David Renault, a GM Light Armor, piloted by Nolan Harkin, and the GM Juggler, piloted by Danyan Jhouty. The rest of the fleet's mobile suit complement were being held in reserve. Closing in on the Musai, Woods began to issue orders. "The main wing, on me. We'll take out the engines. The Fleet will concentrate on the Zeek's exterior weapons. Once the engines are down, we'll help the mobile suits finish off the cyclops'." A chorus of acknowledgements rang through Woods' earpiece, and she grinned. The Saberfishs charged, closing fast, when the world around them exploded. The enemy vessel suddenly reoriented itself, its topside now facing the rapidly approaching Federation forces. Mega particle cannons sent lances of fire forward, followed close behind by missiles. A half-dozen unprepared Saberfish fighters exploded from the fire. "Shit!" Woods cursed. "Scatter!" The remaining Saberfish replied, maneuvering, avoiding, and evading the voluminous Zeon fire. The fighters were now close enough to loose their missiles, and they did so, sending a volley of rockets towards the Musai, most impacting against the more heavily armored forward portion of the warship. Woods banked left, followed closely by her two wing mates. She swept wide and then boosted, heading towards the rear of the Musai, aiming her remaining missiles for the Zeon ship's engines. Glancing quickly to her right, she was barely able to pull her Saberfish II up, letting one of her teammates take a 280mm bazooka round from one of the Zeon mobile suits. Woods brought her fighter back on course and loosed her missiles, most striking against the Musai's right engine pod, exploding violently. Yelling in glee, she shot her Saberfish over the Musai and back towards the battlefield between the Federation fleet and the lone Musai. One of the two shuttles, loaded with unsuspecting Federation troops, exploded as a direct lance from one of the Musai's mega particle turrets struck it. The Musai's Zakus joined the battle, desperately trying to fend off the horde of Saberfish and the few Federation mobile suits. She dived towards one of the nearest Zakus, letting a burst from twin-linked 40mm nose vulcans rip, peppering the Zeon mobile suit with shells. The Zaku quickly reacted, burning its thrusters to avoid further damage. Its pilot sent a 280mm bazooka round her direction, exploding off her left side, shrapnel peppering her fighter. "Shit," he cursed, banking away from the enemy mobile suit. The Musai continued to fire, two mega particle lances sinking the remaining shuttle, sending another company of Federation marines to their deaths. The Federation mobile suits finally joined the battle. Ro and Renault, both equipped with the GM E's standard beam spray gun, slowed down and began engaging the Zakus, while Harkin and Jhouty flew past the raging battle, looking to take out the three Zakus closer to the Musai. Both of the GM E pilots began a desperate struggle against the more experience Zaku pilots. Moving at nearly full speed, they hit their thrusters, circling and strafing, entering a deadly, nearly ritualistic, battle with the enemy pilots. Ro got lucky, landing a burst from her beam spray gun on one of the Zaku II Fs, resulting in a violent explosion. Before getting off a victory yelp, her GM was slammed as two 280mm bazooka rounds struck her mobile suit. Renault shot past his wounded teammate, peppering one of the Zaku's with beam spray fire. The Zaku tumbled backwards under the impact and then exploded, killing the pilot instantly. "Thanks," Ro called out, recovering from the damage. She throttled back to full speed and joined Renault, and the other two Federation pilots in taking out the remaining three Zakus. The last Zakus had retreated much closer to the Musai. The enemy warship was not letting up with its fire, sending mega particle lances, missiles, and AA fire streaking towards the Federation forces. A couple of more Saberfish exploded from the fire, though most of the Musai's mega particle cannons were now aimed at the rapidly approaching Salamis, striking home several times, spreading the fire around, trying to damage as many of the Federation warships as possible. "We have to charge them," Jhouty ordered, preparing to run the gauntlet of fire. "We have to destroy the cyclops'." "Agreed," Harkin concurred, and the four Federation mobile suits charged forward, all firing their beam weapons. The Juggler's ball bits raced forward, much faster than the mobile suits, and Jhouty extended his mind, control the tiny weapons. The Zakus scattered as the pilots charged forward, rapidly firing their Zaku bazookas. One scored a quick hit against Renault's GM E, sending him spiraling away. A lance of mega particle cannon fire nearly incinerated Harkin's GM Light Armor, barely missing the mobile suit. "Damnit," Harkin cursed. The young pilot refocused, brought his beam rifle to bear, and fired at the nearest maneuvering Zaku, striking it in the torso. The mobile suit brilliantly exploded, and Harkin whooped loudly over the radio. "We're within range," reported one of Nasr's bridge officers reported. "All of the Salamis' can open fire effectively." "But we lost the damn shuttles," the captain replied. His ship suddenly shuddered under the impact of a lance of mega particle fire. "Sir, we can't sit around here. We must return fire!" "If we can't capture it," Nasr muttered, "Then we'll kill it. All batteries, open fire!" Ro tracked one of the two remaining Zakus with her beam rifle when she was interrupted by the entire Nasr Fleet opening up with their long range mega particle cannons, lances of fire streaking forth towards the Zeon warship. Several more Saberfish were erroneously incinerated by the fire, and Ro's GM nearly joined them in the blackness of death, a mega particle lance just barely missing her, singing the suit's armor. "Jesus!" Jhouty yelled as the Salamis' fire rained down on the descending Musai, reflecting the sentiments of the Federation pilots. The Juggler, its pilot momentarily distracted by being caught in a deadly crossfire between the Federation and the Zeon forces, was suddenly impacted by two more 280mm bazooka rounds. "Goddamnit," he cursed, turning his attention back to the enemy. He focused his mind, sending his two ball bits streaking towards the Zaku, both firing their beam weaponry. Within moments, he reduced the Zaku to wreckage. Glancing about, the Federation pilots assessed the situation. The Saberfishs had taken a beating and most had used their missiles. The last Zaku had moved even closer to the Musai, which was taking significant damage from the Salamis', but it was rapidly moving lower into Earth's upper atmosphere and it would soon escape their cultures. "We have to press the assault," Woods yelled over the radio. "Agreed," Jhouty replied, and the Federation mobile suits and Saberfish raced towards the ailing Musai, intent on finishing the ship off. As they closed, they engaged in a pitch battle with the remaining Zeon forces, both sides viciously firing the last of their ordance. One of Woods' Saberfish, right wing destroyed by an errant shell from the Musai's anti-air battery and pilot screaming in agony over the radio, smashed headlong into the last remaining Zaku II F, resulting in a spectacular explosion. "Yes!" Woods whooped, watching in glee as the mobile suit was annihilated. One of the Sleipner's mega particle cannons struck against the lowest turret of the Musai, shattering the turret, sending debris in all directions, bodies floating free. "Press the assault!" Nasr ordered, and the five Salamis' maneuvered forward, easily avoiding the few remaining mega particle lances from the last turret of the Musai. They battered the nearly hapless Zeon warship, intent on reducing it to dust. "Fall back to the Komusai!" Fuhst shouted. Loud claxons rang throughout the Falmel and the Musai shuddered under the barrage of mega particle cannon fire. Much of the crew had already been killed, and only one of the Musai's turrets was still operational, and Fuhst had maneuvered his ship close enough to make a reentry into Earth's atmosphere with the Komusai escape pod. Within minutes, the crew that was left had made it to the escape ship, and Fuhst personally slammed the escape button, sending the Komusai shooting out of the Musai's nose. Out of the forward view port, the Falmel's captain watched in horror as his Musai, his first command, exploded violently, the barrage of fire from the Federation fleet finally sinking the ailing Zeon warship. The Komusai's path had already taken it into the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere and out of reach of the remaining Federation fighters. "Where to?" the escape pod's pilot asked, looking back towards Fuhst. "Odessa," the captain ordered, grief-stricken. The Falmel was his ship, and it was taken from him by overwhelming force. Candice Ro: 8 VP, 2 Days Damage Arcaile Nasr: 8 VP, Light Damage Cherish Woods: 7 VP, 2 Days Damage David Renault: 8 VP, 1 Days Damage Nolan Harkin: 7 VP, 2 Days Damage Altecha Chan: 8 VP, light damage Danyan Jhouty: 7 VP, 3 Days Damage High above, Scarth Maheart watched the Medea Silent Fate soar. He grinned and glanced around, watching his fellow rogues maneuver forward through the north German forest. Besides his own Zaku II C, another Zaku II C and a salvaged Gouf marched forward. Nearby, a Zeon-style gunship heli flew forward, past the rogue mobile suits. He and his team were going go hit a nearby Federation firebase - a couple of mobile suits had been seen in the area. "Maheart, this is Black 1," the gunship pilot said over the radio. "This is Maheart," the rouge leader replied. "What do you see?" "Not much," the pilot answered. "Just trees...endless trees." "Damn. The intel seemed solid," Maheart muttered. "Wait..." the gunship suddenly said. "I've spotted the base...oh shit, mobile suits. Two of them, GM types, one with a shoulder cannon." "Excellent," the old rogue replied. "Engage immediately. We'll follow up." "Understood," the heli pilot acknowledged. The two Federation mobile suits moved into the small firebase. The base was comprised of a barracks, a small hanger, and a company's worth of Federation soldiers. Tetsuya Morimoto, safe within the confines of his GM Cannon, clicked his com console, establishing a radio link with his subordinate GM. "I seriously don't think I can handle this anymore," he said. "Neither can I," the GM's pilot replied. "This endless patrolling is really grating on me." "Agre-" Morimoto began, only to be cut off as a barrage of missile fire struck against both Federation mobile suits, knocking them backwards. He whirled his head, looking for the source of the fire, then spotted it: a large, burly looking helicopter with two, counter-rotating blades. As he spotted the aircraft, a series of rounds from its 60mm vulcan struck square against the GM Cannon's chest, some of the rounds easily penetrating the suit's armor, while some bounced off harmlessly. In reaction, Morimoto let off a round with his 240mm shoulder cannon, but the helicopter easily dodged the round, only temporarily ending the aircraft's vulcan. Next to his GM Cannon, the GM began firing with its 90mm machinegun, only a couple of rounds striking against the helicopter. Not phased by the damage, the helicopter banked westward, over the forest. As both Federation mobile suits moved towards the forest, they were surprised by the sudden appearance of three more Zeon units: two Zaku models and a Gouf model. "Shit!" Morimoto yelled, and he began to backpedal, firing his 240mm cannon rapidly. The GM opened up with its own 90mm machinegun, landing a handful of rounds on the Gouf, before having to raise its arm shield to block enemy 120mm shells. The GM Cannon continued to fire, one of its rounds striking true against one of the Zaku models, sending the suit tumbling backwards into the woods. "Goddamnit," Maheart cursed as his Zaku II C was knocked backwards into the woods, the mobile suit slamming into a tree. His other mobile suits scattered. The other Zaku began firing with its 120mm machinegun, while the Gouf began utilizing its 280mm bazooka. One of the Gouf's rounds struck home against the GM, shattering its arm shield, while the Zaku opened up on the GM Cannon, spraying the Federation mobile suit with machinegun rounds. The rogue captain staggered his Zaku up and charged forward. Throwing his machinegun aside, he pulled his heat sword of its magnetic rack. He raced towards the easiest target, the GM, and swung downwards, but its pilot easily dodged the heat sword. Nearby, the GM Cannon got a lucky round off with its 240mm shoulder cannon, and Maheart's other Zaku exploded violently, debris showering the battlefield. "Shit," he cursed. He turned back to face the GM, only to see the Federation mobile suit explode in a ball of fire, one of the Gouf's 280mm rocket rounds striking the GM in the torso. "Yeehaw!" Maheart yelled, turning towards the remaining enemy mobile suit. The GM Cannon had backpedaled even further and, with the destruction of his companion, began to retreat. "Follow?" the Gouf's pilot asked, as both Maheart and his subordinate watched the GM Cannon retreat through the thick German forest. "No," Maheart replied. "We've accomplished enough for today. Fall back to our pickup point. I'm sure Silent Fate is waiting for us. Scarth Maheart: 7 VP, 2+1 Days Damaged, 1 lvl2 Zaku II C destroyed Tetsuya Morimoto: 7 VP, 3 Days Damaged, 1 lvl2 GM destroyed |