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The sun is high in the sky over the Saharan desert as the 87th Integrated Fleet continues its journey out of the smoking hole in the ground formerly known as Alexandria. Several of the mobile suits were damaged in varying amounts, but many have already been fully repaired. Among those that are still waiting on repairs are Charles Gano, Edmund Blackadder, Aaron McCaskey, Scott Archer, and Thierry Mersault. Cray Vermillion, besides being in the infirmary having his injuries looked at, wasn't so much waiting on repairs as he was a whole new tank, due to be delivered the next day. Probably one of the few good parts about having an ancient cheap tank for a weapon - they were easily replaceable. The rest, who actually still had something to repair, sat on the bridge of one of the Big trays, doing what bored pilots do best: harassing other pilots with equally boring, yet different jobs. Having been assigned temporary captain of this particular Big Tray while the real Captain attended 'business' with a lady friend he'd met earlier that day, McCaskey dutifully stared out the window, scanning for potential hazards. As luck would have it, during one of his sweeps over the vast expanse of sand, he noticed a glint on the horizon in the direction they were heading. "I see something off in that direction. It might be a patrol, launch some of the suits that are working to go check it out. Get a Dish in the air as well,” he ordered. As the mobile suits pulled in closer, reports began to come in. "Are those... Water type units? What the hell are they doing in the middle of a desert?" one of the pilots asked, sounding extremely confused over the radio. "Looks like they were sent to scout the area from Alexandria. Guess we'd better tell about the bad news." Another responded. "What bad news?" McCaskey asked, wondering if he needed to send reinforcements. "Huh? Oh I was referring to how they lost their home base yesterday,” The pilot responded. "Watch it; you got one on your left-" A pair of large explosions indicated that two mobile suits had just exploded. Nobody could see clearly from this distance who they were without the aid of electronic sensors. A set of firing coordinates came in through one of the operator’s consoles. "Sir, we've received firing coordinates scout team. Apparently one of the explosions was ours and the other was theirs. Orders?" "Blow them out of the... uh... desert, I guess. Yeah, whatever, just fire." McCaskey ordered. A few cannon shots later and the scout team came back to report that all that was left were a few more smoking holes in the ground. Unfortunately one was 'Joe' whom McCaskey assumed to be the GM Command that didn't return. "Another fine Federation conquest!" McCaskey stated, confident it had been his leadership abilities that lead them to victory here. Mersault, Gano, Archer, and Blackadder just rolled their eyes before returning to their favorite desert pastime of annoying the bridge crew. Charles Gano: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage Cray Vermillion: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage Edmund Blackadder: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage Aaron McCaskey: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage Scott Archer: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage Thierry Mersault: 1 VP gained, No Additional Damage In the early morning light, two Acquys silently made their way into the nigh-impregnable fortress of Jaburo - impregnable, save for a multitude of underwater tunnels which Federation high command insisted were completely necessary for the normal operation and defense of the fortress. In a rare demonstration of agreement, Zeon command also insisted they were completely necessary; they had used them during every assault on Jaburo. With those water-logged entrances spread open before them, how were they to resist? Hans Bond asked permission from Akira and Esther before lighting a cigarette, which he obtained easily, with a roguish smile. Anyone else would be surprised at how far a roguish smile could get one these days, but Hans Bond was too self-assured to be anything but satisfied. The mobile suit cockpit was cramped, but the unnamed pilot was performing admirably, considering the circumstances. In addition to the loiterers in their cockpits, each Acquy was trailing several marines behind it, attached to the mobile suits massive legs with cables long enough that they would not be too buffeted by the turbulence the mobile suits created. It was a hacked-together solution to the problem of how to get 57 people into Jaburo quietly and efficiently. At long last, they reached their destination: The tunnel leading to Jaburo's communications network. Without communication, Jaburo would certainly fall; all the tunnels would make communication nearly impossible, and several strike teams would quickly take care of the disorganized, disjointed Federation personnel. Esther MacKernan shook her head as she heard another shell from the Howitzer hit the ground above them. The monsters had been firing almost nonstop since the siege began. She shuddered as she recalled the damage they'd inflicted on her Gyan. She fingered her sidearm idly as the group disembarked from the Acquy. The Panzergrenadiers emerged from the water like spectres, shucking their scuba equipment like dead skin, moving quickly to secure the perimeter. They moved with a deadly grace that impressed and scared Esther. One could never be too sure what a Panzergrenadier was thinking, but it probably involved death, Zeon, or both. The tunnel was mostly empty, and the party of 57 moved as quickly and quietly as their group size allowed. Their recent attack had the Feddies on high alert, and they couldn't afford to stumble into any patrols. Akira was part of the group's rearguard, and couldn't help glancing behind them every so often, to see if they were being followed, or had been discovered. She wasn't the careful type, but she wasn't careless either, and the operation had almost everyone on edge. Hans and the Panzergrenadiers seemed to be the only ones at-ease. Once, Hans was sent to scout around a corner of an intersection. They heard muted sounds of struggle, and after what seemed an eternity, Hans returned, sporting a bloody nose and bruised cheek. "Elbowed me. Cheeky one, that," he quipped, as they walked past the unconscious soldier. Akira shivered as the Panzergrenadier behind her slit the unconscious man's throat, but she pretended she hadn't seen. The sound of shots erased all thoughts of war crimes from her head, and she whipped out her sidearm wildly, searching for their attackers. Ahead, two full squads of marines had run into them, and it sounded like they were calling for backup. The Panzergrenadiers immediately took up defensive positions, sending well-aimed shots and grenades into the Federation ranks. When the smoke had cleared, there were considerably fewer men in the hallway: The Panzergrenadiers and Hans Bond were gone. Chaos broke loose, with men from both sides running both ways. Esther panicked, but remembered her combat training and sought refuge behind a corner as the bullets whizzed past her long hair. This was so unfair. She was a pilot, not a marine. She belonged in her mobile suit. Still, she had to make the best of things. As Akira and the rest of the group backed slowly away from the approaching marines, Esther jumped out from cover, covering her own vulnerability with a stream of shots from her pistol. "Here, Zeon! Follow me!" Esther had always had a strong personality, and her leadership would inspire the men and women to new heights of bravery! She snapped another few rounds into her pistol, confident that her teammates would rally to her cry. She was, after all, one of Zeon's most brilliant pilots. She felt a sting in her arm, and realized she'd been shot. What would a heroine do in this situation? She pressed forward, and swelled with pride as she noticed half a squad of marines pushing with her. They could do this. People got shot in the arm all the time, and carried on almost as if nothing had happened. Red soaked into the green of her uniform, but Esther stood firm. When she realized that she was the only green-clad warrior standing, she hardly felt any panic at all. She was completely in-character now. She reached for her helmet, and flung it away, shaking out her full, black hair as she reloaded. One last time. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, boys. Never forget the woman you met in the tunnels of Jaburo. Remember Esther MacKernan! Remember Zeon!" She fired, and when the sound of gunfire faded into the tunnels of the underground fortress, Esther MacKernan was dead. Safely back at the Acquys, Akira cursed, tightening the makeshift tourniquet on her leg. The mission had gone to hell; hopefully Hans and the Panzergrenadiers could finish what they all had started. On the plus side, the ride home wasn't going to be nearly as crowded. She motioned to the pilot to open the cockpit, and growled the order to get moving. Nobody else was coming back. Jaburo's guns continued to thunder on the surface, but it was difficult for Akira to hear over the sound of her own beating heart. Aboveground, 7 squads of Zeon marines was clustered behind the broken remains of a Federation GM, planning their next advance. The squads' commander had silenced all grumbling about the mysterious absence of Raven Tarasova and her squad of Panzergrenadiers. They didn't need a few over-eager Zeon patriots to complete a simple mission: Destroy the Howitzers and MPCs. The targets weren't even moving. It's not like they were trying to destroy a damn Feddie mobile suit, just a few damn big guns. Cake. Darkness surrounded Raven Tarasova and her Panzergrenadiers. She had been given a secret mission by the SS secret organization Die Spinne, or rather, she had assigned it to herself, two squads of Panzergrenadiers, and Hans Bond. From what she had heard, he was a rather capable man. They would see. The two saw each other at the exact same moment, their eyes met, and they began to approach each other, she with a smirk, he a smile. Saluting stylishly, Bond apologized gallantly for the delay; it hadn't been easy to slip away from the mob they'd been assigned to, but for such a beautiful lady, etc. Raven just kept smirking, and started to walk toward their target, the Panzergrenadiers trailing behind her obediently. The Federation command center was abuzz with activity. It wasn't everyday that two Zeek operations in Jaburo were stopped, but everyone was ready for more. Alarms were blaring all over the base, and red warning lights flashed through every corridor. The base was on high alert. To Hans, it just helped set the mood. He sidled up to the Panzergrenadier he judged looked most female, and asked if she liked the romantic lighting that he had arranged for her. He could hear the blush in her response, though he couldn't see it, and he smiled roguishly at the pretty face that was undoubtedly hiding behind that mask. Raven paused at the entrance to the doorway, and stepped aside as one of the Panzergrenadiers placed explosives around the entrance, preparing to blast the door. "I think I can take it from here. Then, we can make a polite entrance." Hans Bond produced some sort of gadget from his coat, and in a few seconds, smiled winningly at everyone, and stepped away. "All yours." Kicking the door in was as polite as Raven managed to be, and her dark eyes scanned the room, searching for their target. To her dismay, General Revil was nowhere to be seen - not that she had much time to be disappointed. She shot the surprised Feddie who was calling in the instrusion, but not before he had time to utter a strangled cry. Panzergrenadiers poured into the room, and Hans Bond followed behind them, picking off Feddies from the shadows with his silenced pistol. Every Panzergrenadier in that room was well-trained - a killing machine - and that was the only reason that they made it out of the control room alive. Marines were pouring into the room from all sides, as fast as the Panzergrenadiers could shoot them. Reluctantly, Raven gave the order to retreat. They could accomplish little, at this point. Their intel had been wrong, and she had to live long enough to murder the bastard who had given it to her. Yelling marines pushed the Panzergrenadiers out of the control room, and Hans Bond cringed as the female-looking Panzergrenadier ahead of him was shot through the head. Now, he would never get a chance to see her face. A pity that war claimed so many pretty young women, but there were certainly others. He vaulted over her corpse, put a bullet into a Federation soldier, and began scanning the remaining Panzergrenadiers for the next-most female-looking squad member. Another Zeon squad - this time composed of mobile suits - was raping another one of Jaburo's underwater entrances. Gilgamos Uruk followed in the wake of Alec Irusk, hoping that the impressive Z'Gok E pilot would again clear the way before him. Uruk's Zock was in no shape to take any kind of beating, and he trusted the charismatic officer in front of him with his life. The man was certainly inspiring. He was having a bit of trouble recalling what, exactly, the man had said, but the feeling of inspiration remained. Never before had Alec felt such purpose. Yesterday's operation had gone over with mixed success. Again, their noses had been bloodied. But, if things went according to plan, they would cut out the heart of the Federation today. The Spriggan sputtered underneath him, and he almost felt the mobile suit's pain. It was still damaged from yesterday - everyone was - but like everyone else, it had to do its duty. Under Alec's practiced pilot skills, it performed well enough, considering. The tunnel walls slid by him, Gilgamos, and 5 other mobile suits as they made their way deep into the bowels of Jaburo. "Damn it all. Where the hell is Gil?" Krundle roared in frustration as he worked the controls of his Grabro, trying to position and maneuver the mobile armor in a way that would grant it access to the small tunnel. "It would be easier to stuff a baby back into its mother than get my baby into this mother f-" His words were cut off by an explosion that rocked the large machine. "Eh?! What the fu-" Another explosion. A few patrolling Don Escargots had found a mobile armor wedged into one of the underwater entrances, and their orders were to destroy it. The thick armor creaked under the assault as the bombers relentlessly hit the stationary target again and again. Finally, Gil fired his torpedos, and the tunnel mouth widened enough to allow the battered mobile suit to limp further beneath the surface, away from the Don Escargots and their pilots, who believed the machine had exploded and sunk. Gil looked up at the widened entrance he had made and reached for the machine's controls, but a shower of sparks from a fried control panel, followed by a steady drip of seawater, had him reaching for a flask instead. "That mobile armor can't fit through the door. Everyone knows that - everyone except our commanding officers, apparently," joked the pilot of one of the Hygoggs making its way through the tunnel with Gilgamos and Alec. "Alright. Enough chatter. We're almost there." The mobile suits slowed as they neared the transition from water to air. The inside of the hangar where the underwater tunnel ended was dark; it didn't appear that anyone was there. Alec began to emerge slowly from the water, the lights on the suit provided his eyes some dim illumination, but it was his sensors that alerted him to the presence of the enemy mobile suits. Rapidly, he turned to face the GM CCTs of The Invincible 3rd and a few of their friends, planted safely behind large barriers of Luna Titanium cover. He dove back for the cover of the water, away from the beams that sizzled overhead. One struck him, but most of the energy had dissipated in the water. Steam rose into the air as the two Z'Goks beside him popped up for a shot at their attackers, but they headed back underwater just as quickly, one with a hole in his left shoulder. The opening did not allow for a coordinated assault from the Zeon mobile suits grouped underwater, and it did not allow The Invincible 3rd to press its advantage. The mobile suits continued trading shots for a time, but after a Hygogg and an Acquy remained out of the water a little too long, he decided it was best to cut their losses and retreat. This artery was blocked; they would have to find another secret entrance - preferably one that would accommodate Krundle's gigantic machine. Another megaparticle beam from the expert gunnery crew of the Sir Francis Drake lanced toward Tony Knight and his fellow pilots, and the young captain yelled out a warning from his beleaguered Gelgoog Test Type. Gai Kaiser barely managed to dodge away in his similarly-suffering Galbaldy Alpha. The two pilots were of approximately the same skill level, and were both confident in their abilities - perhaps a little too confident. "Got away from that one easy!" boasted Gai. "That the best that Revil's Big Tray can do?! More like 'Big Stray!'" The fact that the controls weren't responding quite as quickly as they had been before the near-miss bothered him little. With any luck, the strike teams dispatched to Jaburo had completed their missions, meaning it was only a matter of time before they were ordered forward to kill that hulking sonofabitch tucked away behind Jaburo's defenses. "Easy? Then why's your Gal' sporting several new scorch marks?" Tony taunted. Leaping out of the way of an incoming Howitzer shell and shielding the mobile suit's face from the shrapnel with the Gelgoog's thick arms. Truly, no one knew how to handle a mobile suit like Tony, and he said as much to Gai. The back-and-forth taunting was good for the two pilots; each was in his element, and the banter kept them entertained without distracting them from the ever-present danger. "Those are beauty marks; they show that we've been fighting. Least my suit's not some ugly cripple," Gai laughed, motioning to Tony's right arm, which was hanging off the machine's shoulder at an odd angle, torn asunder by the high-velocity shrapnel from the close-range blast. "What the hell is that?" Tony said, gesturing to the "roof" of Jaburo, which appeared to be rising. His question went unanswered as Gai also turned to gape at the shape emerging from the fortress. As it rose, its identity became clear; it was a ship, most likely part of the fleet headed to aid the flagging Federation space effort. "Even I can see it's a ship, dummy," Gai remarked, recovering from his astonishment. "Betcha I can shoot it down before you." "Let's see about that!" Tony accepted the challenge heartily, and they began shooting at the ship as it rose into the clouds. It was a lot bigger than the Sir Francis Drake, but a lot farther away; the beams dissipated far before they reached their target. Tony and Gai kept shooting. "Let's see. Should be any minute now." Marina said to herself, checking her watch. She and the crew of the Pendragon were ready. They received the communication alerting them to the ship's launch, and Marina gave the orders to surface. The Ananke II, that giant Magellan II-class space vessel, was thundering into the atmosphere, and Marina had to stop it. Easy. The rogue-purchased nuke was already loaded and ready to fire, and the belly of the ship was turned toward them. Sadness filled her as she remembered she had only 1 nuke to use - all the more reason to enjoy this one, she reasoned. The large missile streaked toward its target, and exploded in a beautiful orange-red bloom. Pieces of ship sank back to the ground, raining fiery metal back down on the beast that was Jaburo. All too soon, she was forced to retreat, as the Tin Cods of The Desert Eagles came bearing down upon her, fierce vengeance loaded with every torpedo. A few struck the ship as it sank once again beneath the waves - a small price to pay, for what they had gained. "Okay, that should do it." Sebastian Brennan in Zeon's Gundam, alond with two Doms, had sneaked into position in front of the towering base, just in time to see the Ananke II rise into the air, and explode. Perfect timing. He spread the tactical nukes out in front of him, each stamped with the Die Spinne emblem, and was hastily setting up the launcher, when he was interrupted. GMs swarmed from the trees - about 10 of them - each one fresh from Jaburo's war factory, shining new. Perfect timing. Brennan groaned inwardly as he fired off a nuke at the next ship emerging from Jaburo's belly, before the GMs had a chance to close in. On the bow of the Salamis Revised, the word "Vladimir" was painted. The tactical nuke obliterated the name, along with most of the front of the ship. But the Vladimir didn't explode, instead shuddering in the air as the explosion blossomed over its surface. For a brief instant, it hung seemingly motionless, suspended in space, and then began descending, having lost the momentum necessary to continue its ascent. Sebastian, the Doms and the GMs watched as the nose of the ship disappeared beneath the treeline. It continued into the ground like a drop of water, the nose swallowed in fire, followed by the midsection and finally the tail, until the whole ship was just a crater of fire on the ground - another pockmark on the battlefield of Jaburo, and the largest by far. Nukes were so much fun. Zeon's Gundam twisted away from fire from the GMs, hitting the ground to avoid the fire from 10 beam spray guns. One of the Doms was not so lucky, exploding in a sea of pink beams. The other Dom managed to down a GM with a well-placed shot through the cockpit, giving Sebastian the time he needed to grab the other tactical nukes, and hightail it back to the Zeon lines. The GMs pursued for a short while, but their beam spray guns were almost useless at long range, and Zeon's Gundam was faster. Sebastian snickered as he thought of the repercussions for using a nuke. Certainly, their actions would be condemned, but they would do what was necessary to win the war, even if one of them had to take responsibility for it. Concern etched the features of General Revil as he watched the Ananke II explode in front of him, and the Vladimir behind it. It was a shame that Aurem Senaiha had been transferred to space; he could've used a good sniper today. His grief at the loss of his ships and men was offset only by the fact that he wasn't on them. He had anticipated an attack on the flagship, and had therefore transferred to a different ship at the last moment. None of his men had known of the transfer, and it had ensured his safety. Precautions seemed paranoid, but Revil had dealt with the Zeeks before at Odessa. They had been willing to use a nuke to kill him there; a nuke being used here hardly surprised him, though it did sadden him - so much collateral damage for an attack on his person. As he looked to the sky, he thought he heard space calling him. It was there that the future of humanity would be decided. He hoped the war on Earth would come to a merciful close soon, but he knew that there were no guarantees. They had not managed to eradicate the Principality threat on Earth. With any luck, the capable commanders of the EFGF would be able to deal with them in his absence. "Never have I destroyed a ship so large." Tony was staring, starry-eyed, at the space where the Ananke II had exploded. "Damnit, how many times do I have to tell you that I destroyed the first one, and you might have killed the second one." Gai was insistent that the large ship's destruction was his doing. "Man, the girls'll never believe this!" Tony didn't care much for the argument. He'd settle for a Salamis revised any day. "Actually, I don't think anyone will." Raven Tarasova: 4 CP Gained, Injured 3, Demoted to Obersturmbannführer Gilgamos Uruk: 5/2 VP Gained, Repairing +2 Gil Krundle: 3/2 VP Gained, Repairing +4 Alec Irusk: 3/2 VP Gained, Repairing +2 Tony Knight: 5/2 VP Gained, Repairing +2 Esther MacKernan: 6/2 CP Gained, Killed in Action Gai Kaiser: 5/2 CP Gained, Repairing +1 Akira Sasaki: 6/2 CP Gained, Injured 2 It was an impressive sight to be sure. Federation warship after Federation warship were making their way through the heavily contested two day from Earth line unchecked. But how could they be? There were only two Zeonic fleets available in the area and the one was on its last legs. The other was busy maintaining a delicate blockade of the area in hopes of catching the surviving vessels of the crippled BOLLOCKS fleet. The new fleet’s sudden presence sent a chill up the spines of their Zeonic observers. The Earth Federation had just lost one fleet after some of the heaviest fighting since the war began. To field another this soon was an awe-inspiring testament to the resource disparity between the Earth and the denizens of Side 3; if they could shrug off losses this easily then what hope did the Duchy of Zeon have? While political officers went about ensuring that word of the new fleet did not spread amongst the Zeonic crews, Veronica Wu studied the oncoming fleet from her command post on the Athena’s Wraith. The newly promoted Brigadier General was not eager to get into another battle. She knew her own expeditionary force was exhausted and that if the incoming fleet hit them head on then her fleet would be wiped out. But that was contingent on the fleet in front of her being real. The EFSF did not have a fleet that big at the two days line and there was no reason to believe that one could magically appear out of thin air. It was common knowledge, and once the initial shock was over, everyone amongst her expeditionary fleet would come to the same conclusion. Still though the presence of the balloon fleet meant that there was a trap waiting to be sprung and the Brigadier General’s face remained firm while she sought to discover it as quickly as possible. Operation Blow-up Dolls had ended in a Zeon victory but that did not dissuade Prince of Orange and his 42nd Brigade from trying something similar again. They had left the safety of the Ohm Fleet some hours ago and were presently on course for the rear of the fleet that had shattered Packie’s own. The news of their comrades’ defeat had filled them with a thirst for revenge that not even the exhausting effort of getting all those balloons deployed had been able to quench. The latched on to their leader’s plan to distract the enemy fleet with a decoy fleet before attacking them from the rear with the mad determination that had helped them turn back the Zeonic storm on Earth. “Hold off on launching the mobile suits until we’re in position,” the captain of the modified Gray Phantom said with a playful smile on his face. His plan was brilliant, and coupled with his expert crews and veteran pilots, he was sure that he would succeed where his contemporaries failed. His smile faded, however, when the first blurry images of mobile suits launching the Zeonic fleet began to filter in. Emil Myberg had not participated directly in the engagement with the BOLLOCKS fleet. He had, however, been promoted to sergeant anyway. He was proud of himself but at the same time dismayed that he could not provide more help for his teammates. His new Gelgoog Jeager would have been a welcome addition to the fighting, and although he had yet to use it in real combat, Emil was positive that the powerful machine would serve him well. “And with any luck,” he thought enthusiastically, “they’ll think I’m the Red Comet with this paint scheme and run away!” “And with any luck,” he thought enthusiastically, “they’ll think I’m the Red Comet with this paint scheme and run away!” The idea entertained him immensely as his Gelgoog Jeager took up position at the center of Zaku Kai formation. Emil had one of the few undamaged mobile suits in the entire fleet so it was natural that he would be in the wave of mobile suits set aside for direct engagement with the incoming vessel. Their job was integral to Veronica’s defensive plan; essentially keep the enemy well away from the already badly damaged expeditionary vessels. The former Earth Federation pilot’s good mood persisted as the entire formation began accelerating forward. He took the lead easily thanks to his mobile suit’s powerful engines despite the large beam machinegun that his mobile suit was holding. Although he had never used the weapon before, Emil had heard good things about the weapon’s accuracy and the sensors were giving him excellent readings. Each of the Zaku Kai mobile suits around the Gelgoog Jeager was equipped with either a MMP-80 90mm machinegun or a 280mm Zaku Bazooka. The ones with the machineguns were set towards the front of the swarm around Emil’s suit while the ones with the bazookas were spread out farther in the back. They had some decent experience behind them, and they were feeling good after their recent victory, but their opponents for this fight were of a completely different caliber. This realization only truly struck them when the three Gundams hurdling towards them lanced fully half of their number with a quick barrage of beam rifle shots. The surviving Zeonic pilots opened fire while terrified thought very familiar to their terrestrial cousins flashed through their minds: “GUNDAMS!” “The Emil team has been wiped out!” Veronica absorbed the nightmarish information without letting the slowly building panic in her fleet get to her. Their advance team had been wiped out in seconds; the Zaku Kai units swept aside with nary a dent in the advancing force. She had known loss before and she had sent many young men and women to their deaths. This though was something entirely different. The Orange Base’s mobile suit compliment was monstrous; one of the most powerful concentration of Federation technology in the entire Earth Sphere. “Split them apart and keep hammering away at their mother ship,” she calmly ordered while her crew frantically tried to take back control of the situation. The team from the Federation vessel had already come within range of the second wave of mobile suits; this one composed of Rick Doms and the fleet’s singular Pezun Dowadge. One of the Rick Dom signals vanished right before Veronica’s eyes. Before any more could pop, her relayed order finally kicked into effect. Firing solutions from the fleet’s vessels sprang into life and suddenly the enemy team was scattering. Kyle grunted from the g-force as he spun his Ez8 on its axis. Its outstretched beam saber tore through the Zaku Kai that he had stabbed and then came dangerously close to bisecting the “Crimson Flasher” and her damaged Gelgoog. Despite being a less experienced pilot in a damaged machine, Olivia still managed to parry the wild swipe with her mobile suit’s own beam naginata. The intense fighting was reaching its peak and Kyle knew it. Already Karol and Kelly had been forced to fall back. His suit’s beam rifle was gone and he was being hammered with fire from all directions. He was now relying on his beam saber to get the job done; unwilling to turn back while his comrades were still in the thick of the fighting. He tried to angle his suit so that it could fire its vulcans on the Gelgoog engaging him in melee combat but it boosted away in unison with damaged Zaku Kai’s launching a grenade into his suit’s side. Elsewhere the Heavy Gundam was engaged in a duel with the Pezun Dowadge from earlier along with Ghettid’s Kampfer and Ana Wild’s Gelgoog. The three pilots were working together to take out the heavily armed mobile suit but their results so far were not promising. Aurem, the man who killed Garma Zabi, had already exhausted Anya’s beam rifle and landed a nasty hit on the Pezun Dowadge. Every time Junichi tried to press him, Aurem responded by flashing vulcan fire at the lightly armored mobile suit and weaving so that the blistering AA fire all around them provided him with a wall. The cannon on his suit spat a shell out that blew the most heavily armored of his attackers into pieces while he put a blistering amount of fire on the other two using his heavy launcher. His rampage, however, came to an abrupt end when Kenshiro’s Bigro slammed one of its claws into the side of the Heavy Gundam. Even while damaged the mobile armor was capable of getting up to an impressive speed. This translated into a terrible blow that sent the Heavy Gundam spinning like a top while also nearly yanking one of the mobile suit’s arms out of its socket. Their small victory, however, was overshadowed by the Blue Destiny. It had made short work of everything in its path and it was only now that the surviving Zeonic mobile suits were starting to gain any ground on it and that was only because of the wiltering firing their limping ships were providing. “We’re the only ones who made It this far,” Marion reported while Thorvald snapped a shot off at one of the few remaining Zaku Kais. The Zeonic pilots had learned what they were dealing with and were keeping away so that everything could be thrown out at them. Still though without beam weaponry, Thorvald was shrugging it off. The man howled while looking for his target. He wanted to attack the biggest ship there but he could not get close enough even with Marion’s assistance. So instead he settled on a particular ship with a big long flat surface extending out of its front (or at least what he thought was the front). It had a number of big guns on it so Thorvald guessed that it must have been important. With subtle help from Marion, Thorvald took his shot. It struck straight through to one of the Nyarlathotep’s reactors. In an instant the influx of mega particles caused the entire thing to critical and a massive explosion cracked the Chivvay II. “Ne’er seen something that before!” the Lutheran happily exclaimed as the machinegun rounds, bazooka shells, and AA fire all around him was joined by missiles, and mega beam fire from each of the surviving vessels. Although the enemy fleet had been heavily damaged in its last engagement, many of its guns and long-range weaponry were still working. The Orange Base had been hit hard early into the fight as a result. It had retaliated with a few shots of its own but the fire came in too thick and heavy. The Gwazine’s shots in particular were keeping Nigel busy ordering evasive movements and the deployment of anti-beam missiles. It was only when the Gundams got into the thick of the enemy fleet that fire on the Orange Base let up. Nigel didn’t waste the opportunity. He confidently proclaimed to his bridge crew, “Order everyone to return and fire mega particle cannons in fifteen seconds.” His men quickly relayed the command, and sure enough, the mobile suit carrier’s guns went off like clockwork. The next few minutes were tense for the Prince and his crew. Their pilots were in the midst of the enemy fleet and they had to weather considerable fire to get back. Even worse was the fact that their carrier had to continue dealing with the firepower being directed its own way. On the other side of the battlefield, Veronica Wu was reeling from the carnage in her own way. She gave orders but her mind was elsewhere. As the blue mobile suit that had destroyed the Nyarlathotep limped away, someone asked if they should send their remaining mobile suits to pursue. The Brigadier General took one glance out the bridge’s window towards the floating wreck of her ship’s twin. That was the only answer they needed. Caleb DeGrau: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Kenshiro Imawano: 9/2 VP Gained, Repairing +1 Olivia Baklitskaia: 9/2 VP Gained, Repairing +1 Ray Walker: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Richard Banks: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Anya Wilds: 9/2 VP Gained, Repairing +1 Felix Mendahlson: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Florian Cuyler: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Veronica Wu: 8 VP Gained, Fatigued 2 Yoritomo Naizen: 1 VP Gained, No Damage Emil Myberg: 8 VP Gained, Repairing 5, Injured 4 Junichi Ghettid: 8/2 VP Gained, Repairing +1 Nigel Ferdinand: 5 VP Gained, No Damage Kyle Slater: 6 VP Gained, Repairing 4 Thorvald Siggurdson: 5 VP Gained, Repairing 5 Marion: 5 VP Gained, No Damage Aurem Senaiha: 4 VP Gained, Repairing 4, Injured 2 |