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The year is Universal Century 0079. On the tenth of January, Island Iffish entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The fallen colony subsequently broke up into four pieces. Three of those pieces fell on unpopulated areas of North America. The fourth and largest piece impacted Sydney, Australia. The resulting blast destroyed more than sixteen percent of the continent. Now on the ninth of December, two of the Federation’s top pilots were flying high above the five hundred kilometer crater. One was in a brand new FF-6 Tin Cod. It was not his first nor was it his second and it probably would not be his last. He had gone through several of the interceptor craft since the beginning of the war but in return he had inflicted devastating blow after devastating blow to Zeon’s Earth forces. He had even nearly claimed Garma Zabi’s life long before one his teammates finally crushed the youngest Zabi during the Battle of Jaburo. The other pilot was in a FF-X7-Bst Core Booster. It was a marvel of engineering; a fighter aircraft capable of utilizing beam weaponry. The Core Booster’s firepower had claimed several of Zeon’s massive Gaw battleship and it had been pivotal in ensuring that Zeon would never again be able to lay claim to the skies. Both aircraft were roughly aligned with one another. They bobbed up and down from the occasional chop but neither pilot really paid any mind to it. They knew their respective aircraft well, and despite the fact that he had never ridden in this particular Tin Cod before, Jim Irwin felt he was more than ready to take it through its paces. “You ready for this, Archer?” the Tin Cod ace called out while eying the Core Booster. Archer’s response was to drop back. Jim Irwin whistled in response to the aggressive act. Who ever could get the lock on the other first would claim victory in this spar. Archer’s move gave him a head start but Irwin did not count himself out yet. As Archer’s fighter darted sideways to come up right on Irwin’s tail, the Tin Cod ace sharply dove in the other direction. “More than ready, Irwin!” coldly thought Archer as he weaved through the sky trying to get Irwin back in his crosshairs. It would only take a moment to end the battle but Jim Irwin had not lived this long to give up that easily. He juked here and there, darted back and forth, and just generally made a nuisance of himself to make sure that Archer’s fighter had one hell of a time keeping him in sight let alone in a crosshair. Archer was a pro though. He kept up with every trick, and thanks to Irwin’s unfamiliarity with this particular Tin Cod, he was slowly getting closer and closer to a lock with every passing second. Irwin knew it too. He was starting to get desperate so he decided to try something. If he could not beat the machine then he would beat the man. The two aircraft were nearly level with each other when the lead suddenly tried to swing back. Its follower took up the chase yet again and the two were circling each other at fantastic speeds. The acceleration on the two pilots bodies was incredible but neither man was willing to let the other escape. They circled again and again while steadily rising higher and higher in the air. Archer was the first to break off; the extreme pressure finally forcing him to give it up. He was sure that the spar was over and that he was done for. It was thus a great surprise then when Jim’s interceptor did not come chasing after him. It continued with the same pattern that it had before despite the fact nothing was chasing it anymore. “JIM?!” the Core Booster pilot yelled over the radio. Genuine concern gripped Scott as Jim’s interceptor went higher and higher. Before long it would stall out and then come crashing down to Earth. Scott was trying to figure out some way to save his friend when suddenly the Tin Cod shakily leveled out. “Jim?” The Tin Cod ace’s response was a low groan. He managed to beat Archer but the cost was a bit too high. To make matters worse, a message suddenly flashed across his screen: He only looked at it for a moment before sighing. Scott Archer was a cold sonuvabitch. He had been subconsciously lining up a shot ever since he had broken off, and after Jim had confirmed that he was okay, Scott finally took it. The two pilots turned back to their fleet without saying another word. Jim was in no real physical condition to say anything while Scott was far too much of a professional to rub his well earned victory in. Scott Archer: 4 VP Gained, Repairing 1 Jim Irwin: 1 VP Gained, Repairing 1 It is common human nature to be fascinated by new and unusual things. This holds especially true to upgrades and new possessions. Such curiosity, however, is a double edged sword: it can reveal new discoveries and unravel the mysteries of the universe but carelessness can kill you without warning. Nevertheless, to the pilots of the 87th Integrated Fleet the arrival of new machines and equipment served only to raise their good mood. Already basking in the glory of their successful destruction of the Zeon base Hughendon, eager pilots went out to test their new weapons. The shattered northern edge of the Sydney Crater in Australia lay still and quiet. One day, life will once again florish at the location of the Operation British colony drop. Until then, it will remain a desert. The world will not wait for nature to reclaim the crater however. The ground shook as dirt and gravel is flung in every direction. The heavy steel threads of a Federal main battle tank tore into the ravaged terrain without remorse. Staff Sergeant Cray Vermillion hit his head on the optical eyepiece as the Type-61 went airborne for a fraction of a second. "Get us into cover!" he ordered," the bastard's right behind us!" "No, you don't say?!" retorted Ion Bossa-Nova as the small woman worked the driving controls of the tank. The Type-61 reversed the direction of one of its tracks, causing it to drift behind a rock formation. A hundred liters worth of paint instantly coated the ground where the tank once was. Lieutenant Aaron McCaskey bit his lip as he gently tapped the controls of the GM Command Kai again. The unit is faster and different than his old mobile suit. Three times his targetting reticle overshot the nimble armored vehicle as it dash from cover to cover. But he is getting the hang of it. Slowly the officer worked the paintball rounds of his 90mm machinegun around the fleeing vehicle, boxing it inside a shrinking perimeter. Then something different happen. McCaskey opened fire on where he thought Vermillion's Type-61 was going to appear. But instead of trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the Federal mobile suit, Vermillion's tank came charging over the rough terrain towards the GM Command Kai's legs. In his old unit, McCaskey would have pivoted and blasted the Type-61 into the next rainbow. But his new GM Command Kai reacted too much and he overstepped. Vermillion saw the shadow of the mobile suit pass over him. With a loud grunt he pulled a lever. Smoke canisters bounced between the GM Command Kai's thighs and around its skirt armor. Very quickly, the mobile suit is lost in a giant pink smoke cloud. In frustration, McCaskey opened fire with his head vulcans hoping probability is on his side. But experience will win this day. The Type-61 is now in the open, rumbling back towards the blinded GM Command Kai. Ion swung the tank around as the Type-61 went sideways up an incline. The manuever allowed the armored vehicle to raise its twin 150mm cannons at a much higher angle while being closer to its target. Like a huntsman waiting in the underbush, Cray Vermillion relaxed as his eye stare into the optical eyepiece. Sweaty fingers barely touch the firing triggers. Suddenly, the familiar glassy green tint of a emerges like a sprouting flower. "GOT YOU!" cried out Vermillion in victory. The twin 150mm cannons roared in agreement. The GM Command Kai's head snapped back. Not by the impact but by McCaskey's surprised reaction when his cameras are blinded by paint. The Federal mobile suit stumbled for balance but the left heel caught on something and the metal giant topples. Both commander and driver started to cheer as they watch the mobile suit fall. But then physics remineded them that they are still too close when the shockwave from the impact flipped their tank over. Sometimes the best medicine is a bruised ego. Cray Vermillion - 3 VP Gained, Repairing 2 Aaron McCaskey - 2+1 VP Gained, Repairing 1 |