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The dry grasslands of South Africa strentched in all directions, devoid of most of it's usual animal activity as the sun reached it's noonday peak. The heat was sweltering, even inside the environmentally controlled cockpit of the GM that Daren Sanders sat in. High above, his Depp Rogg patrolled along with RF-4s Dish and two Tin Cod fighters. He'd had everyone on edge for the past week, with the rumors of Zeon incursions into South Africa abounding. A signal from the circling Dish confirmed his suspicions, Zeon units had been sighted heading toward the mining facility. "Alright everyone, they're on the way. Get ready..." the Federal officer stated into a mic pickup, the GM G and high performance GM "Cold Climate Type" both assumed positions behind what little cover could be provided, the three Type 61 tanks readying themselves for a fire support role. The leader of the group openned a private line with his teammates. "So, how long you think newbies gonna last?" "Dunno, but maybe he won't have us on constant alert after this. I haven't gotten a decent nights sleep since he got here." The three tank commanders laughed in unison the kind of laugh only men about to face their deaths could, resuming their preparation rituals in silence after. They'd finally reached RF-4, and despite choosing the most inhospitable time of day to attack, the Federals looked fully prepared for them. "You'd think they'd do the same thing and sleep," Laurie Lee stated inside her Gouf. "Da, ze smart thing..." Zhezheri Alexander replied, adjusting his throat mic and gloves inside his Zaku II J, "Ve have monopoly on ze stupid ideas." "Okay, Private Logunov, set up here. You're fire support, keep those Fed flyers off our backs. We'll take the ground pounders." Ionesco stated as he stared in the direction of RF-4. "Roger that. You know what I could use? A cold beer and a hot chick. Thought you said that SS girl was going to be down here..." Ignoring his subordinant's comment, Eugene-Rice Ionesco readied his Zaku II Gs weapons. An updated ground combat model, lessons learned in the development were incorporated in the design making his Zaku one of the fastest and deadliest available. "Alright, let's get moving." The Gouf and two Zakus began moving as Alexander Logunov fired his first shot, openning the battle. "Incoming fire!!!" came a shout, but Daren couldn't place the voice. Above, the Tin Cods all broke formation as a glowing streak smashed into the slower Dish, sending the large, flat craft spiralling to the ground in a cloud of smoke and flames. "Okay, make sure you've got clear lines of fire, don't waste your shots!" Daren spoke, but most of his command already knew what to do in a combat situation by experience. Gripping the controls of his GM Command, Daren readied his 90mm machinegun. "Got 'em... a Gouf and two Zakus, and they've got fire support!" the Depp Rogg pilot stated, "Going to see if I can slow them down." The large bomber lumbered foward, firing of it's missiles directly in the path of the attacking Zeons. The Gouf and Zaku G dodged easily, the J type aiming it's shoulder shield foward to block the single missile to find it's target, raising it's 120mm machinegun and firing after the Depp Rogg. "Ze plane, boss, ze plane!" Zhezheri muttered as he followed the slow craft. "Forget it, leave it for Alexander." Eugene commented as he began zagging, the 180mm cannon that was reported out having been replaced already. Intelligence was lacking these days. The J-type Zaku stopped firing and followed after his two teammates. "Got them in range, sending them a greeting," the lead Type 71 commented shortly before one, then two of his tanks main guns fired, the two other tanks following suit. Daren added in a burst of 90mm fire, none of it effective. The Gouf and G-type Zaku easily evaded, but the older J-type took a hit to the shoulder pauldron on it's unshielded side. Above, an explosion marked the death of a Tin Cod fighter as the distant Zaku Cannon continued to fire at anything that began a strafing run. "Moving in to engage the Gouf," The GM CCT pilot stated, it's four back thrusters sending it arcing high in the air toward the Zeon force. Firing from it's 90mm on the way down, the GM landing before the Gouf of Laurie Lee. "Got a Fed here, gonna play with him for a bit. I'll catch up to you guys." she stated, pulling her heat saber out. The Cold Climate Type was fast, but the pilot wasn't experienced enough to utilize it to it's utmost. Firing with it's 75mm finger machineguns, the Gouf closed on the GM, who finally ditched its machinegun in favor for it's single beam saber. Grinning in her cockpit, Laurie pulled the Gouf's right hand back and sent it flying foward, the head rod activating and extending quickly toward the Federation suit, electronically stunning it with contact. Levelling a shoulder, the Gouf barreled the GM over, cutting off it's beam saber wield arm and stepping on it's head before moving on to assist her teammates. Alexander stopped running to fire a leg mounted rocket in the direction of one of the Type 71s, the projectile forcing the tank from cover. Eugene sighted it in and fired a round from his Zaku bazooka, obliterating the tank. The GM G stood and fired a burst in his direction, forcing him to burst to the side. "Fire off the rest of your rockets, Zhez, we have one of the tough ones here." Planting both feet, the Zaku fired off the five remaining rockets in the direction of the 180 mm cannon emplacement, destroying it. Before he could resume movement, a round from a Type 71 slammed into the same shoulder than had been hit earlier, jerking his suit violently and leaving his Zaku's left arm hanging limp. Aiming the machinegun in it's other hand, the burst of 120mm shells left a smoking crater where the tank had been. Daren Sanders continued to fire 90 mm fire at the high performance Zaku, frustrated by it's abnormal movement speed. The GM G pilot said something, but Daren was fighting by instinct now. The Zaku made a movement with it's hand, three canisters falling between the Federal defenses. Before he could wonder how much good they would do there, the three canisters burst, pouring a thick cloud of smoke onto the arid ground. "Shit!! Fall back!!" Daren shouted as the black cloud swept over him. Watching warily, the GM pilot was stunned as a red mono-eye flashed from the cover, followed after by the Zaku's Gouf-like shoulder, slamming into the chest of the GM Command, violently throwing it's pilot foward into the controls, then back into the seat as the GM slammed onto it's back. Daren stared in a concussed haze as the Zaku levelled it's bazooka at the cockpit, having difficulty breathing due to his now heavily bruised ribcage. Just as the blood from the cut on his forehead reached his eyes, he passed out. "Goodbye, Feddie," Eugene stated as he made to fire. A burst of 90mm fire kicked up sand around his Zaku as the green GM Ground emerged from the dissapating smoke, pulling a beam saber from it's knee storage area and dropping it's now empty machinegun. Both Laurie's Gouf and Zhezheri's Zaku arrived shortly after, the three Zeon suits facing off against the Federal GM. The three Zeon fighters all moved in unison, though the GM never left his downed commander unprotected while fending off the three. Laurie swung with her heat rod, the GM slicing it away with it's beam saber, getting rocked by a 280mm bazooka from Eugene's Zaku G. "Zis one is tough, commander," Zhezheri stated, discarding his useless machinegun and pulling out heat hawk. Taking several steps to get some momentum, the Zaku raised its heat hawk to attack, but two shells from the final Type 71 hit the Zaku in the torso, knocking it to the ground with black smoke pouring from the body. "Zhez!" Eugene shouted. Turning with a scowl, Eugene fired two shots toward the Type 71, destroying it. He turned back in time to see the GM Ground slice the gun-arm from Laurie's Gouf, the follow up attack barely being blocked by the Gouf's heat saber in time. Sighting in on the Lunar titanium armored suit with his final round, the G-type Zaku rocked violently as Daren Sander's prone GM fired into the shoulder shield. Turning his bazooka toward the downed Federal, Eugene stared coldy as he depressed the trigger. "Commander!" the shout seemed almost other worldly. Daren Sanders stared as the GM Cold Climate Type placed itself directly in the path of the bazooka round, taking the shot directly to the chest, the mobile suit exploding violently after. Inside his Zaku, Eugene stared at the fiery aftermath of the GMs death, keying his microphone as he sighted the GM G helping the GM Command to its feet. "Fall back.." was all he stated, both his Zaku G and Laurie's Gouf both withdrawing back toward Logunov's Zaku Cannon's position. Inside his GM Command, Daren only stared blankly at the destruction that surrounded him. Daren Sanders: 10 VP gained, 2 days damage, 3 days injured Eugene-Rice Ionesco: 8 VP gained, 2 days damage Thomas Gustav floated quietly in his cell on the Federation Salamis-class Sleipner. He had spent the last several days confined to one of the brig blocks, captured after a disastrous attack on the very Federation vessel he was imprisoned on. His guards had spent their time together ridiculing his belief in Zeon Zum Daikun. And now he had lulled his captors to sleep with his docile ways. The guard that brought him his usual evening dinner floated into the brig, carrying a large metal tray with a plastic cover to prevent the food from floating away. "Evening, Gustav," the guard said derisively. "Have any crazy revelations today?" "Always," Gustav grinned. Gustav pushed off the far wall of the jail as the guard began to push the tray through the food slot built into the brig's bars. Closing in, Gustav slipped his arm through the bars, grabbing the guard's shirt. As hard as he could, he slammed the guard against the bars, stunning the man. Swiftly, Gustav grabbed the guard's keys off his belt. He already had observed the necessary key to unlock his cell, and in moments Gustav had freed himself, knocked the guard into unconsciousness, and liberated a pistol. "Time for my grand escape!" Danyan Jhouty prowled along of the Sleipner's decks, restless. He had had an interesting encounter with the Zeon prisoner that the ship had captured. Thomas Gustav had proved to be an...interesting man, an interesting Zeon soldier. A sudden, tickling sensation flared up in the back of his mind, and Jhouty turned to look back down the corridor he had come. It struck him that this was the same corridor as the Sleipner's cell block. Odd, he thought. I hadn't meant to come this way. He started to turn back when the door to the brig slide open and Thomas Gustav, pistol in hand, propelled himself out into the corridor. "What the-?" Jhouty said softly as Gustav turned to face him. A look of surprise crossed Gustav's face, and he raised his pistol towards Jhouty. "Zeig Zeon!" Gustav cried and fired several shots in Jhouty's direction. The bullets pinged off the bulkhead near Jhouty as the man cringed from the reverberating sound of the gunshots. "Prisoner escape!" Jhouty yelled. Gustav had propelled his way swiftly through the inner corridors of the Salamis, desperately trying to find the ship's hanger bay. The kink in Gustav's plan had been a general lack of knowledge of the internal structure of the Salamis, and once he had escaped, he didn't really know where to go. Already he had fought off several parties of sailors and soldiers hunting him down, but he was down to the last clip of his pistol. Coming around a corner, Gustav propelled himself down the corridor, only to begin to try to stop himself as Jhouty and a group of sailors, all armed with small arms, floated into the far end of the corridor. "Stop!" yelled Jhouty, pointing his pistol in Gustav's direction. Gritting his teeth, Gustav opened fired first, sending several bullets down the hallway, striking two of the Federation soldiers, both of whom cried out in pain. Jhouty and the two other guards opened fire with their pistols, sending bullets flying towards Gustav. "Shit," Gustav cursed, trying to dodge the bullets as best as possible, continuing to fire down the corridor. He felt a intense, sharp pain as a bullet struck his abdomen. He screamed in pain and let go of his pistol, letting it float away. Gustav watched as his blood began to float in front of his eyes. "Fuck," he screamed, pain flowing through his body. Jhouty and the two uninjured guards floated down the corridor towards Gustav's body. "Shouldn't have escaped," Jhouty said softly, examining the writhing Gustav. "Now they have a reason to be hard on you." Outcome: Federation victory Thomas Gustav: +1 CP, 3 Days Injured Danyan Jhouty: +2 CP Trudging through the South African savannah, annoyed as his Gouf sinks into the mud, unable to make anything close to an optimum speed even in relatively flat ground, Massenfer shook his head, his MS team flanking him. Five Medeas soared over their heads, twenty thousand feet in the air. They were unable to target them, the bright yellow aircraft being mere stars pinging off the African sun. "How are we supposed to attack these things... They never land." Sighed Massenfer, amazed at this blatant oversight. Their MS team fired a few shots into the air with their machineguns, but there was no misconception that any rounds would actually hit. The fleet soared through the sky, and was eventually out of reach, only landing for a short time to refuel at the heavily defended mountain base of Kilimanjaro. Ardan Massenfer - 2 VP gained, no damage |