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Aside from a few fluffy clouds in the distance, the sky over the Atlantic Ocean is clam and clear. Clear that is, except for the aircraft and airborne ships of the Federal 42nd Brigade. A convoy of Medea-class transports surrounded by Jet Core Boosters and Tin Cods flew over the Himalaya-class Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In the middle of their formation is the Gray Phantom-class Orange Base. The pride of Nigel Ferdinand's forces, the Orange Base defies the laws of physics with its compressed Minovsky Craft system. Able to fly through the atmosphere into Earth Orbit without bulky rocket boosters, the Gray Phantom has proven its merit during the second attack on Zeon-held New York. Six shapes move around on the outer hull of the Orange Base. Well, as much as they move around anyway. "So... the Lieutenant told you to get us together to spar the Beam Team." "Yep," confirmed Aurem Senaiha in his GM Ground Sniper. "For practice against the Beam Team," continued Arieta in her Land Combat GM. The GM Command next to them stayed quiet. "Yep." "He bet money on us." "Yes." "Money on long range units fighting short range units." "Yes." "Did you mention to him that that none of us can fly and the only way to spar is by walking around on top of the Orange Base?" "No." "And you agreed to this." "Yes." "I worry about you sometimes." Not even twenty meters away are the mobile suits of the Beam Team. Kyle Slater rubbed the back of his head as his EZ-8 glanced over at the Guncannon HDT piloted by Lieutenant Ptolemy Gerard. "Just stick to the plan," growled Gerard as he salutes the observers on the Orange Base's bridge. Karol Ryder scoffs at the lieutenant's remark but kept his peace inside the GM CCT. "Alright Beam Team, move according to the plan!" ordered Gerard as the Beam Team raised their weapons. But of course, nothing really does go to plan. The first thirty seconds of the spar was just a wild exchange of paintballs and low powered beam blasts. All hopes of organized manuevers went right out the window as everyone went prone or sought cover as they sprayed their weapons at each other. GM shields became abstract art pieces and the paintjob of the Orange Base turned into something worse than what Thorvald Siggurdson did last week. Below the Gray Phantom-class ship, sailors on the Himalaya looked up at the rainfall of paintballs landing in the ocean. Then on Lieutenant Gerard's signal, the whole Beam Team leaped over the length of the ship. Aurem and Arieta looked up as the four mobile suits of the Beam Team descend upon them- - And the little bit of the Orange Base that they are standing on. When the dust settled, Aurem's GM Sniper is hanging off the edge of Orange Base's port catapault with one hand. With his other hand, Aurem held onto Arieta's Land Combat GM. Below them, the Beam Team is trying to stay afloat in the water while Don Escargots lift off the Lleu Llaw Gyffes to help them. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" commented Aurem. His GM Ground Sniper got smacked in the face by the butt of Arieta's railcannon for his trouble. Aurem Senaiha - 4 VP Gained, Repairing 2 Kyle Slater - 3 VP Gained, Repairing 2 The strong thrusters of the Black Rock Pirate fleet powered it through the deep clutches of space. 10 full days from Sol, the tattered colors of Addie's Ghost drifted gracefully towards Lighthouse Station. Its red, from so many battles, laid chipped, weathered and beaten. It had been months since it's last official check up. In the Federation fleet, it was well repaired and tended; but paint was not a priority. To remedy his flagship, the Taj Mahal to Addie Joiner, Samuel ordered his crew to repaint it crimson red. Crates were unloaded from the cargo bay. Unfortunately, no one ever bothered to label them. Rick Doms, Zakus, and all kinds of units ripped open crates, looking for the red can. The pirates turned this into a game, breaking open the crates and rummaging them for the valued object. Heat hawks floated in the air, over the mobile suit's heads. One person found a trap, flooding the hangar with thick black smoke. The hangar opened, spewing smoke into space. The object floated into view, a label can drifting away. Robin Sayer rushed to chase it, but accidently punched it instead, sending it flying off into space. Behind, the angry visage of Samuel Riley's personal mobile suit watched. As Robin started to stutter out words, he was hit by a blinding scattering beam particle gun. He blinked fruitlessly; all he could see was white. The captain kept yelling at Robin, telling him to get used to his new mobile suit quick if he wanted to be of any use to the crew. He mocked that he might be sizable on the ship, but in a mobile suit he was the same size as everyone else and had to deal with that. The blinded Dom's verniers started to light up, as Robin struggled to feel the controls. Riley grabbed his crew mate, and flung him into space. "When you can use that suit wisely, come back and see us!" When Robin's eyesight returned, Addie's Ghost was a dilapidated spec quickly drifting out of view. He hit the thrusters and gave it all he could, now absorbed with the fear that he'd be left all alone in the horror of deep space. Now that he could see, he looked around the cockpit and committed each control to memory. He mouthed each button, switch and joystick as he used it. Addie's Ghost rapidly came back into view. The hangar was open, awaiting him. Robin guided the Dom in, landing in. The fuel would have to be replaced, but the Callysto had some reserve fuel. Robin, on the other hand, learned a lesson he'd never forget. "Good work, boy." Riley beamed. Robin Sayer: 6 vp gained, Repairing 2 Samuel Riley: 4 vp gained, Repairing 2 The the area around Luna II the EFSF patrol fleet was making its rounds. Some of the enlisted personnel were chattering amongst themselfs, "Hey I hear things are heating up on Earth again?" One seamen told to another, "Yeah I heard they were going to attack one of our big bases." The two seamen were talking until the captain of the ship yelled, "Cut the chatter and get back to work!" the two seamen snapped to attention and went back to their duties. "Sir. We have a target on sensors. Its transmitting no IFF signal." One of the crewman said towards the captain. The captains eyes narrowed as he entered into thought. "Open fire on the object. I'm not taking any chances." The lead ship fired a salvo of missiles at the object. The hit it and the reading vanished off the radar. The captain launched a wing of Saberfish to investigate. "Sir. This is Bravo leader. We had just blown up a balloon sir." The Captain sighed. "alright Bravo leader. Return top base. We are resuming our deployment.' The Saberfish wing returned to the ship and went back to its patrolling. |