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This just in: Independant reporters on both sides of the war have confirmed that the Side 3 Resupply fleet was attacked again today by a Federal blockade at the 2 days from Earth line. The Side 3 Resupply fleet is responsible for ferrying all important minerals and food supplies to the Duchy of Zeon from Earth, carrying the goods of the extensive Odessa Mining Operation to the factories in New Berlin. The Federal blockade has twice now thwarted Zeons efforts, with no sign of interdiction from the Duchies autonomous forces. However, for a second time the Federations victory in the region was thwarted by ace pilot Char Aznable, whose red Zaku was seen flying amongst the Federal Magellans in an act of defiance. The Federation commander, Bosque Ohm, reportedly withdrew his personal unit from the battlefield when Char's Zaku came dangerously close to the Titans bridge. This reporter was unable to get a comment from Mr. Aznable on the event, but you can be sure that they are singing his praises back home on Side 3. We did ask for confirmation from the Mobile Assault Force as to the whereabouts of Mr. Aznable. Is he keeping our vital resources safe, or has he simply been in the right place at the right time twice in a row? Kycillia Zabi did not make a comment, deliberately not wanting to give the Duchies enemies any information on Mr. Aznables whereabouts. However, she did say, and I quote, that a 'crimson lightning would fall on any who attacked Zeons most vital resources'. We do not know if this is a reference to a new codename for Mr. Aznable at this time, but will keep you posted. Now back to Tom, with sports. During the last week, South America shook from the massive collision of the military forces of the Earth Federation and the Duchy of Zeon. But the calm lull that finally settled over the continent is shattered by the sounds of jet engines. Six Fly Mantas banked as their flight leader turned them towards their rendezous coordinates. The Federal pilots knew about the ferocious fighting this close to the EFF's headquarters and as a result weren't surprised when they are ordered to sortie. They have been waiting for this chance to strike back at the Zeon intruders. But where is their contact? Then, off in the distance, came the silhouette of a plane. Together, the six Medeas closed in on it. To their relief, they saw the silhouette turn into a Medea. A small Dish aircraft hovers a few hundred feet high above it. Then they saw the wings wobble as the jet engines choked for a moment before the plane leveled out. On the bridge of the Chicken Little, Lieutenant Nigel Ferdinand held on tight to a control console. The pilot clenched his teeth as he wrestled with the flight controls. "I can barely hold her steady sir!" warned the pilot," avionics are barely responding as is." Ferdinand shouted over the beeping of warning signals and the sound of overworked engines. "We just need to get to the target and let our guys take care of it." The Dutch prince pointed at the approaching Fly Mantas. "The Zeon ship will be too busy with them to do much to us." On that note, Ferdinand sat back down in his command chair and buckled himself in. Doubts still cloud the pilot's mind but he kept his peace. In the badly damaged cargo hold, Marines check their weapons as the pilot to the single GM CCT locked his cockpit shut. Staff Sergeant Duncan Keystone made his way through the mess hall of the Dobday-class Liger. He bumped shoulders with a few of the other Zeon soldiers, greeting them with a tired smile. Keystone finally reached the coffeepot at the far wall and pour himself a large helping. Fortunes be damned, he can barely keep his eyes open. The exhilaration of the past few days is starting to get to him. Caffiene isn't helping that much but Keystone is going to need all the help he can get. Keystone is proud of his performance for the past few days. The Gouf he rode into battle proved true all of his beliefs of the machine's superiority against other top line Zeon mobile suits. It lay on the ship's external racks as mechanics repair its battle scarred body. The sudden blaring of klaxxons nearly made Keystone spit out his coffee. Everyone around him stood bewildered for a moment, then made a large stampede for the messroom exit. Chairs and silverware are overturned as the Zeon soldiers ran to their battlestations. By the time Keystone reached the pilot's walkway, the heavy machine gun turrets of the Liger are already chasing the scattering forms of the Fly Manta. The land around the Dobday burns from missed strikes. Next to the land battleship, the veteran Xamel let loose a barrage of missiles from its missile pod. The munitions chased after the ground suppression aircraft, ending their part in this battle. As Keystone watched the antiair defense do their magic, the Gouf pilot is bumped by a crewmember who excitedly pointed at a direction away from the surface to air battle. In the far distance, the unmistakable form of a Federal Medea started a slow turn away from them as the unmistakeable form of a mobile suit fell from its belly to the South American soil. Without even considering the consequences, Keystone climbed the service ladder to his damaged Gouf. "Sergeant!" cried one of the mechanics," she's not ready to fight yet! The right arm is missing, the left arm only has 50 rounds in the '75, and we most of the armor plating is gone!" It is true, even the blue plating that sandwiched the Gouf's monoeye has been removed. The Gouf is more dull metal than blue now, with a left arm that practically limps off its shoulder socket joint. But Keystone is too pumped on andrenaline to bother weighing the facts. "She can still walk and she can still fight!" insisted Keystone," there is an enemy mobile suit out there and I'm the only one who can take it on!" The Xamel is currently trying to lock onto the slow moving Medea with the help of the Dobday's targetting systems. "Aw screw it!" mutters the head mechanics," pry him loose! Slip the docking clamps!" The sudden release of the minimally repaired Gouf caught Keystone offguard but by luck, he landed on both of his feet. The Gouf ran into the dense jungle, the five-barrel 75mm machinegun at the ready. A few seconds behind him, a Gunship Heli roared as its rotary blades carry the helicopter over the jungle canopy. Keystone blinked his eyes a few times as he tried to get his bearings. The GM he saw landed a certain distance away. But where can it be? He found that answer when a beam saber burned its way through jungle vegetation and catching the Gouf's right knee. The energy weapon ate through the unarmored limb without stopping, causing the Gouf to crash into the ground. As Keystone fell, the 75mm finger machineguns fired wildly striking the GM CCT as it took a step back. The harsh environment equipped Federal mobile suit shrugged off most of the first rounds as the pilot raised the beam saber above the Gouf. As the beam saber plunged down at him, Keystone did the one thing that came to mind. The left hand of the Gouf chambered on an empty magazine as it reached up to grab the beam saber. The energy weapon passed through the forearm of the Gouf's left arm as the Gouf's hand grabbed the GM CCT's sword hand. With a quick yank, the GM CCT toppled forward as the left arm explodes around the beam saber. Keystone felt the heavy GM CCT land on his Gouf. Using the Gouf's remaining limb, the dying Zeon mobile suit rolled over on top of the GM CCT. As the Zeon mobile suit pinned its stunned enemy in the mud of the South American jungle, Keystone popped the cockpit hatch and leaped free. He landed badly though, spraining his ankle as Keystone rolled under some bushes. When he finally looked up, Keystone saw the Gouf exploded as it self-destructed directly ontop of the GM CCT, completely destroying both mobile suits. As the injured Terrestial Assault Force pilot braced himself against the pressure wave of the explosion, the Gunship Heli moves in to retrieve him. Back in the Medea, Lieutenant Ferdinand is not that better off. The Dobday-class Liger and the Xamel artillery unit have found the range on the Chicken Little and both Zeon units are straddling him with heavy fire. "Sir! We have telemetry for firing acqusition!" "Send it!" shouted Ferdinand as he saw his Dish aircraft explode into a fireball a few feet away," This is our last chance!" A far distance away, a group of Guntanks rumbled into the opening. The crew is read targetting coordinates from a command post. On command, the heavy 120mm cannons roared in unison. "We're hit!" screamed the pilot," oh my god, there goes the wing-!" Ferdinand held on tight as he sat strapped in his chair. While the crew panickedduring the final moments of the Chicken Little, he faintly see the trails of artillery rounds landing around the Liger. Then the sky disappeared and the ground came up to meet him. Branches cracked and trees uprooted as the Chicken Little tore through the jungle. Each impact slowing it down by a faction as the cockpit window shattered and the jungle came crashing into the bridge at full force. Then things went black for Ferdinand. He woke under bright moonlight several hours later. Pain and aches plagued Ferdinand's body. His eyes looked around him. Only he is stirring. The trunk of a tree sat in the place where the Medea's pilot was sitting. There is no movement around him except the gentle sway of leaves. How Ferdinand survived, he will never truly understand. But it hurts. Nigel Ferdinand - 5/2 VP gained, Severely Injured 7 Duncan Keystone - 7/4 VP gained, Destroyed 1 Injured 6 |