Mid December, AC 208
Fire. A searing tongue of it whipped around Gabriel Sinclair's legs as he came to an abrupt halt, his run interrupted by this sudden obstacle. The padded material of his flight suit, designed to withstand the rigors of outer space, began to heat up, its fibres smouldering before he could bat away most of the sparks. A sharp sensation lanced through his skull, signalling that he had been too late. At least one burn, the extent uncertain. Unfortunately, there was no time to tend to it.
All around him, the world was falling apart. Walls exploded outward, casting shards of metal and snaking coils of conduit on to the deck. Fires blossomed from every surface, flaring and fading without any warning while the damaged sprinkler systems tried to contain them. Even the alarms were on death's door, their piercing klaxons gradually winding down into dull noise, ceaseless and without meaning. It wouldn't be long before the area Gabriel was in would cease to exist, much like his crew quarters had a few moments ago.
Illyria Beta, the premier space research station of the Grand Cross Empire, was falling.
Two hundred and eight years ago, humanity had seen fit to expand from the cradle of its existence, moving to the stars. Over population, pollution, and depleted resources had tried the limits of the Earth, forcing this alternative. As generations passed, those who had immigrated to space constructed gigantic colonies; self-contained cities that resembled a bottled microcosm of what had been left behind. In the more recent years, many of these settlements had come under the jurisdiction of the GCE, a totalitarian regime manipulated by a clandestine power structure. This had not boded well with the people of Earth, who had objected to the sudden changes among the colonies. Disagreement had sparked war, which now translated into the chaos that had enveloped Gabriel's world.
A massive collection of cargo bunkers, spacecraft, work stations, and habitat modules, the sprawling facility stretched a good three miles in diameter, making it the largest of its kind to date. Hanging amidst the stars, this massive construct served in the military ranks of the GCE, providing new innovations for its soldiers to field in defence of their homeland. As a test pilot, it was the nineteen year old Gabriel's duty to shakedown many of these weapons, most importantly the humanoid battle tanks known as mobile suits.
Ignoring the rising stench of burnt cloth, Gabriel pushed on ahead, keeping an arm up over his face. The station had been caught by surprise, and was currently defenceless against the invading squadrons of the Earth's United Alliance military. Garbled reports on his personal communicator hinted that the enemy had already demolished the Illyria's defence perimeter, and was pushing into its inner sanctum. It was only a matter of time before they....
BOOM!
Though distant, the explosion resonated throughout the entire deck, sending Gabriel to his knees as he grasped for support. He could feel the far-away tug of an opened airlock, probably wrenched apart to expose the vacuum beyond. Getting to his feet, he dove forward, rolling under a security door as it slammed shut, sealing the area behind him.
"Whew... too close," he breathed, breaking into a run again. Ahead, he could hear a collection of coughs, a sign of life. Restraining a cheer, he pushed on farther, squinting through the heat induced haze to see who was there. Stepping though a hatchway, he found himself on the catwalk of the station's secondary hanger deck. A cavernous expanse that seemed pocked with small blazes and damage, it stank of burning fuel and bubbling coolant.
Two figures, both leaning against the nearest guardrail, both looked up as he approached. The tall, lanky young man Gabriel recognized immediately: his best friend, would-be rival, and partner in crime, Ensign Julian Davenport gave a shake of his sandy blonde hair, wiping the soot away from his brow. The other, cursing and swearing as she rubbed her eyes, was his project chief and coordinator, Lieutenant Silvia Cassidy. Giving her reddish brown hair a shake, she squinted back at him, and then gave a long sigh of relief.
"Damn it, Sinclair," she coughed out, "we thought you were space dust. We just heard that all of D block was just blown open."
Gabriel afforded a smile despite the situation. "My luck, I was on my way to the officer's mess, to sneak some breakfast," he replied, helping them both along the walk.
"Looks like thinking with your stomach finally saved you, you blighter," Julian croaked, coughing out another mouthful of smoke. Though both young men hailed from the same county of Britain's North Country, Gabriel had long since rid himself of his local accent, while his friend had not only maintained his own, but had perfected it to a dramatically exaggerated degree.
"And I suppose you weren't up for coffee and scones, eh Jules?" Gabriel returned, kicking a collection of metal debris aside as they pressed on.
"Perish the thought," his friend managed a smile. "I was up for some earlier practice when all of Damnation began to rain down."
"Hey, you crazy Brits, this is serious!" Silvia shrugged aside Gabriel's helping arm, and walked on ahead. "We need to get to the suits, pronto!"
"My dear girl," Jules followed her lead, walking ahead, "what do you propose we do? Fight back? There must be dozens of them. Hundreds!"
"It's better than waiting to die here!" she retorted. "Besides, Gabe agrees with me." She gave Sinclair an angry look.
"Ah, say it ain't so, old boy," Jules said, turning back to him in resignation.
Gabriel flinched, and nodded, knowing that Silvia was right. Decks were losing pressure by the minute, with no sign of the attack letting up. It was sink or swim, and he'd rather swim. "Sorry buddy," he shrugged, "the lady's got the better idea." He broke into a jog, following Silvia's lead.
"Bugger!" Jules cursed, and ran after them.
The trio made their way across the hanger, and to its far end, where a series of gantries awaited them. Lined paddocks, each proportioned to a good sixty feet in height, these areas served as the maintenance and storage stalls for the units that Gabriel and Julian were responsible for perfecting. Even now, with the mounting storm of activity, they sat by, watching idly. Two mobile suits, armoured giants with bulky shoulders and snub-nosed rifles, along with a compact form that resembled a gun turret on squat legs, awaited them. The twin Koshi prototypes, and the EC-21 platform, these were the spoils of the Silvia's Mercutio Project, once a possible leap in the GCE's mobile weapons technology. Now, that possibility was threatened, unless the three comrades could somehow turn the tide against the invaders.
All three stopped, and turned to one another. "So, whose gonna to take what?" Silvia was the first to speak, gaze darting back and forth between the two men and the mobile units. Gabriel, who really hadn't thought about that condition, just shrugged.
Julian saw the confusion in his co-workers, and groaned. "Oh, for the love of... , " he growled, and grabbed each one by the arm. "Alrighty, Gabe and you'll take out the big lads, and start whipping those Earth blokes outside. I'll take our tin can, and weed 'em out down here."
"Are you crazy?!" Silvia's mouth gaped. "You can't use the the EC's gun inside the station! You'll collapse the hull!"
"My dear girl," Jules managed calmly, "will it really matter in ten seconds?" Before she could reply, Silvia was cut off by another series of explosions. The opposite wall of the hanger began to moan as it was blown outward, pried off its moorings by sets of giant hands and cutting weapons. As a greenish yellow beam blade sliced aside the last of the obstacle, the three GCE soldiers saw the darkened form of a United Alliance mobile suit stride forward. The blocky figure panned its left arm around the chamber, letting loose a series of bluish energy pulses from a shoulder cannon. Behind it, another, slighter figure dove into the fray, rolling to a stop before rising to its feet, gigantic rifle at the ready.
"Move it!" Gabriel yelled, sprinting down the rest of the catwalk. He could feel the earlier burn in his leg starting to throb, but did his best to ignore it. Reaching the end, he grasping a hanging ripcord, and allowed momentum to swing him towards the open cockpit of the waiting Koshi X1. Letting go just short of his goal, he hurtled downward, just managing to get a hold on the hatch's handle. Boosting himself up the rest of the way, he felt something wet run over his hands. Blood. Cursing himself for not wearing gloves, Gabriel ignored the rope burns, tossing himself down into the cockpit seat, sealing himself in.
Lights began to light up, readouts winking into existence as he initiated a cold start of the fusion reactor. The entire mobile suit rumbled underneath him, coolant blasting out connection pumps as they broke loose. Checking his displays, Gabriel found that the X1's powerful particle beam rifle was online, and his beam rapiers were both charged. The shoulder mounted crossfire cannons, high speed laser weapons, had not yet been installed. What's more, though the suit's hefty rifle was primed, its targeting mechanism was not properly calibrated. That could be a problem, but he didn't have time to think about that.
Moving his Koshi forward, Gabriel saw that Silvia was just a step behind him, already raising her own particle rifle. He frowned at the engineer's impetuous behaviour. She wasn't waiting for either himself or Julian to reply with some sort of basic strategy. Still, with the two Earth machines bearing down on them, there was little choice. Gritting his teeth, he pushed onward.
* * * * * * *
Brian Amis braced his massive Orion Alpha to the deck, watching the three enemy units begin their advance. As a part of the United Alliance's infiltration team, he and his wing man, Jason Singer, had been assigned to pacify and secure this deck. Their superiors had warned them about the various military research projects that were conducted here and the possibility of an active prototype or two putting up some resistance. Still, neither pilot had expected three adversaries to be waiting for them.
Singer's elaborate entrance, complete with commando style roll, had attracted most of the attention. While his smaller Foxhound mobile suit lacked the Orion-A's heavy armour and flight ability, its nimble frame could easily perform movements that its counterpart found physically taxing. Even now, the younger Singer was sniping at the oncoming GCE units with his beam rifle, letting golden hued shots wash over the lead suit and its squat follower.
Amis smiled, knowing that the two Earth machines had a clear advantage. The three targets before them were likely novice pilots, trainees or engineers at best. What's more, their machines were pre production models, and might not even be combat worthy yet. Just the same, he'd rather be cautious; they still outnumbered him.
He signalled his partner over the comm channel: "Singer, take the dumpster our, I'll distract the other two until you're done," he glanced at his target data, centering the crosshairs on the oncoming mobile suit. "Back me up when you're done."
"You got it, Mr. Leader, sir," Singer replied, with his usual good humour. His Foxhound turned its rifle on the hobbling EC-21, peppering it with fire. Armoured plates were shaved away in seconds, exposing a crackling array of wires and servos. Things were looking up.
* * * * * * *
Gabriel watched Julian's EC-21 take fire, and quickly turned his sights to the attacker. The waddling turret was not designed for direct combat, and wouldn't last long against the Earth Foxhound. Raising the X1's rifle, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as heat coursed through the cockpit. The generators charged, and let loose a furious stream of reddish light, ploughing through the Foxhound's upper body. The target's left side seemed to go limp, its arm falling away in a charred mess. Smiling, Gabriel signalled Julian over the comm channel.
"Jules, old man, send this UA blighter back were he came from, will you?" he chuckled, throwing back to his old accent.
"Now you're talking sensibly, dear fellow," Jules laughed, turning the EC- 21 into line with the Foxhound. The entire machine quivered as scarlet energy ripped over its form, right from the muzzle of Jules' turret barrel. A more powerful version of the Koshi's particle rifle, the EC's cannon could finish off the wounded Earth soldier in a single shot.
* * * * * * *
Brian's jaw had dropped as the lead mobile suit's lone shot had nearly crippled his partner. Realizing the full extent of what they had gotten themselves into, the two UA pilots were starting to fall back, looking for possible cover in the corridors from where they had come. Glancing back to the diminutive EC-21, his eyes widened at the growing storm that surrounded it. Grabbing his transmitter, he practically screamed to his partner.
"Jason!" panic was rising in his voice, not a good sign. "Back off! That dumpster's got live weapons! Get out of there now!"
Too late.
Julian's red energy stream hurtled out of the barrel, washing over Singer's mobile suit. In seconds, the Foxhound crumpled away, its upper body completely atomized under the fire. A pair of mechanical legs clattered to the hanger floor, half melted into a fused mesh. Singer hadn't even gotten a chance to scream.
Rage began to build within Brian, growing as his mind fully processed this sight. He was angry; at those GCE pilots for their heartless attack, at Jason for having played the hero, and himself for just watching it all transpire. Charging his Orion forward, he leapt over the Foxhound's meagre remains, and brought his beam sabre down upon the EC-21. The glowing blade sliced through the test type like butter, cleaving into two even pieces before it was cast into internal flames. Still, Brian was not satisfied. He turned to the other two targets.
* * * * * * *
Gabriel was dumbfounded. One moment, he and Julian had been celebrating the first kill, the next his best friend had ceased to exist. All that was left of him had been scattered along the floor by the Earth Orion-A, kicked aside as the United Alliance machine stomped forward, blade poised to strike. Focusing on his training, he started to shake off his grief, saving it for a more appropriate time. However, before he could meet the Orion's charge, Silvia's own Koshi skidded to a halt between the two. Firing her particle rifle, she managed to strip away the aggressor's right side, ruining his shoulder and arm weaponry. Still, it kept coming, stabbing its blade downward through her Koshi's waist, sending it to the floor.
"Silvia!" Gabriel's shout seemed pointless, the damage had been done.
"I'm... I'm okay," she replied, static building over the comm channel. "That S.O.B. just severed X2's leg linkage, I can't move. Damn it!" He heard her punch once of her screens, no doubt injuring her hand in the process. The Orion, meanwhile, pushed her aside, and continued to stalk towards Gabriel.
Raising his rifle again, Gabriel took aim, and fired. The shot, without proper targeting calculations however, went wide, tearing open another hole in the hanger's far wall. It was too late to adjust his aim as the UA pilot brought his sabre blade down over the X1's gun hand, severing it and the rifle from their mount. Reaching back with the Koshi's opposite arm, Gabriel unlatched one of them beam rapiers hanging from his suit's waist. The purplish blade sprouted to life, just in time to parry a second swing from his foe.
The two mobile suits sparred across the hanger, the Orion letting down a fierce serious of rapid strikes, the rage of its pilot fuelling every cut. Gabriel could only block the attacks, and wait for an opening. Suddenly, he found himself trapped against a wall, penned in with nowhere to turn. Behind his attacker, he could see Silvia's X2 prop itself up on its free arm, using its rifle to fend off another team of UA machines that was coming into the hanger.
Looking back to the Orion, he watched it rear its arm back, about to deliver the coup de grace. Thinking fast, Gabriel twisted his rapier over in his suit's hand, thrusting it forward, hoping to strike his attacker square in the chest cockpit. The blade sunk through armour, but the Orion advanced like a speared boar running up its hunter's weapon. The strike had been off center, thought portions of the beam blade had crackled into the pilot's compartment. Inside, Brian was biting back screams as the intense heat from the rapier literally cooked the flesh of his left side. He refused to give up, craving only revenge.
The Orion's beam sabre stopped just inches from the Koshi, both suits beginning to feel the extent of their respective damage. One by one, each man watched instruments die, robbing them of the opportunity to avenge their fallen friends. Sinking back into his seat, Gabriel waited for what would undoubtedly be a UA commando team to crack open his cockpit, and haul him away to a holding cell. Brian also fell back, giving in to the pain that was blurring his thoughts, slipping into unconsciousness. Before resigning themselves, both men silently promised to find out the identity of the other, so they might somehow finish what they started.
Fire. A searing tongue of it whipped around Gabriel Sinclair's legs as he came to an abrupt halt, his run interrupted by this sudden obstacle. The padded material of his flight suit, designed to withstand the rigors of outer space, began to heat up, its fibres smouldering before he could bat away most of the sparks. A sharp sensation lanced through his skull, signalling that he had been too late. At least one burn, the extent uncertain. Unfortunately, there was no time to tend to it.
All around him, the world was falling apart. Walls exploded outward, casting shards of metal and snaking coils of conduit on to the deck. Fires blossomed from every surface, flaring and fading without any warning while the damaged sprinkler systems tried to contain them. Even the alarms were on death's door, their piercing klaxons gradually winding down into dull noise, ceaseless and without meaning. It wouldn't be long before the area Gabriel was in would cease to exist, much like his crew quarters had a few moments ago.
Illyria Beta, the premier space research station of the Grand Cross Empire, was falling.
Two hundred and eight years ago, humanity had seen fit to expand from the cradle of its existence, moving to the stars. Over population, pollution, and depleted resources had tried the limits of the Earth, forcing this alternative. As generations passed, those who had immigrated to space constructed gigantic colonies; self-contained cities that resembled a bottled microcosm of what had been left behind. In the more recent years, many of these settlements had come under the jurisdiction of the GCE, a totalitarian regime manipulated by a clandestine power structure. This had not boded well with the people of Earth, who had objected to the sudden changes among the colonies. Disagreement had sparked war, which now translated into the chaos that had enveloped Gabriel's world.
A massive collection of cargo bunkers, spacecraft, work stations, and habitat modules, the sprawling facility stretched a good three miles in diameter, making it the largest of its kind to date. Hanging amidst the stars, this massive construct served in the military ranks of the GCE, providing new innovations for its soldiers to field in defence of their homeland. As a test pilot, it was the nineteen year old Gabriel's duty to shakedown many of these weapons, most importantly the humanoid battle tanks known as mobile suits.
Ignoring the rising stench of burnt cloth, Gabriel pushed on ahead, keeping an arm up over his face. The station had been caught by surprise, and was currently defenceless against the invading squadrons of the Earth's United Alliance military. Garbled reports on his personal communicator hinted that the enemy had already demolished the Illyria's defence perimeter, and was pushing into its inner sanctum. It was only a matter of time before they....
BOOM!
Though distant, the explosion resonated throughout the entire deck, sending Gabriel to his knees as he grasped for support. He could feel the far-away tug of an opened airlock, probably wrenched apart to expose the vacuum beyond. Getting to his feet, he dove forward, rolling under a security door as it slammed shut, sealing the area behind him.
"Whew... too close," he breathed, breaking into a run again. Ahead, he could hear a collection of coughs, a sign of life. Restraining a cheer, he pushed on farther, squinting through the heat induced haze to see who was there. Stepping though a hatchway, he found himself on the catwalk of the station's secondary hanger deck. A cavernous expanse that seemed pocked with small blazes and damage, it stank of burning fuel and bubbling coolant.
Two figures, both leaning against the nearest guardrail, both looked up as he approached. The tall, lanky young man Gabriel recognized immediately: his best friend, would-be rival, and partner in crime, Ensign Julian Davenport gave a shake of his sandy blonde hair, wiping the soot away from his brow. The other, cursing and swearing as she rubbed her eyes, was his project chief and coordinator, Lieutenant Silvia Cassidy. Giving her reddish brown hair a shake, she squinted back at him, and then gave a long sigh of relief.
"Damn it, Sinclair," she coughed out, "we thought you were space dust. We just heard that all of D block was just blown open."
Gabriel afforded a smile despite the situation. "My luck, I was on my way to the officer's mess, to sneak some breakfast," he replied, helping them both along the walk.
"Looks like thinking with your stomach finally saved you, you blighter," Julian croaked, coughing out another mouthful of smoke. Though both young men hailed from the same county of Britain's North Country, Gabriel had long since rid himself of his local accent, while his friend had not only maintained his own, but had perfected it to a dramatically exaggerated degree.
"And I suppose you weren't up for coffee and scones, eh Jules?" Gabriel returned, kicking a collection of metal debris aside as they pressed on.
"Perish the thought," his friend managed a smile. "I was up for some earlier practice when all of Damnation began to rain down."
"Hey, you crazy Brits, this is serious!" Silvia shrugged aside Gabriel's helping arm, and walked on ahead. "We need to get to the suits, pronto!"
"My dear girl," Jules followed her lead, walking ahead, "what do you propose we do? Fight back? There must be dozens of them. Hundreds!"
"It's better than waiting to die here!" she retorted. "Besides, Gabe agrees with me." She gave Sinclair an angry look.
"Ah, say it ain't so, old boy," Jules said, turning back to him in resignation.
Gabriel flinched, and nodded, knowing that Silvia was right. Decks were losing pressure by the minute, with no sign of the attack letting up. It was sink or swim, and he'd rather swim. "Sorry buddy," he shrugged, "the lady's got the better idea." He broke into a jog, following Silvia's lead.
"Bugger!" Jules cursed, and ran after them.
The trio made their way across the hanger, and to its far end, where a series of gantries awaited them. Lined paddocks, each proportioned to a good sixty feet in height, these areas served as the maintenance and storage stalls for the units that Gabriel and Julian were responsible for perfecting. Even now, with the mounting storm of activity, they sat by, watching idly. Two mobile suits, armoured giants with bulky shoulders and snub-nosed rifles, along with a compact form that resembled a gun turret on squat legs, awaited them. The twin Koshi prototypes, and the EC-21 platform, these were the spoils of the Silvia's Mercutio Project, once a possible leap in the GCE's mobile weapons technology. Now, that possibility was threatened, unless the three comrades could somehow turn the tide against the invaders.
All three stopped, and turned to one another. "So, whose gonna to take what?" Silvia was the first to speak, gaze darting back and forth between the two men and the mobile units. Gabriel, who really hadn't thought about that condition, just shrugged.
Julian saw the confusion in his co-workers, and groaned. "Oh, for the love of... , " he growled, and grabbed each one by the arm. "Alrighty, Gabe and you'll take out the big lads, and start whipping those Earth blokes outside. I'll take our tin can, and weed 'em out down here."
"Are you crazy?!" Silvia's mouth gaped. "You can't use the the EC's gun inside the station! You'll collapse the hull!"
"My dear girl," Jules managed calmly, "will it really matter in ten seconds?" Before she could reply, Silvia was cut off by another series of explosions. The opposite wall of the hanger began to moan as it was blown outward, pried off its moorings by sets of giant hands and cutting weapons. As a greenish yellow beam blade sliced aside the last of the obstacle, the three GCE soldiers saw the darkened form of a United Alliance mobile suit stride forward. The blocky figure panned its left arm around the chamber, letting loose a series of bluish energy pulses from a shoulder cannon. Behind it, another, slighter figure dove into the fray, rolling to a stop before rising to its feet, gigantic rifle at the ready.
"Move it!" Gabriel yelled, sprinting down the rest of the catwalk. He could feel the earlier burn in his leg starting to throb, but did his best to ignore it. Reaching the end, he grasping a hanging ripcord, and allowed momentum to swing him towards the open cockpit of the waiting Koshi X1. Letting go just short of his goal, he hurtled downward, just managing to get a hold on the hatch's handle. Boosting himself up the rest of the way, he felt something wet run over his hands. Blood. Cursing himself for not wearing gloves, Gabriel ignored the rope burns, tossing himself down into the cockpit seat, sealing himself in.
Lights began to light up, readouts winking into existence as he initiated a cold start of the fusion reactor. The entire mobile suit rumbled underneath him, coolant blasting out connection pumps as they broke loose. Checking his displays, Gabriel found that the X1's powerful particle beam rifle was online, and his beam rapiers were both charged. The shoulder mounted crossfire cannons, high speed laser weapons, had not yet been installed. What's more, though the suit's hefty rifle was primed, its targeting mechanism was not properly calibrated. That could be a problem, but he didn't have time to think about that.
Moving his Koshi forward, Gabriel saw that Silvia was just a step behind him, already raising her own particle rifle. He frowned at the engineer's impetuous behaviour. She wasn't waiting for either himself or Julian to reply with some sort of basic strategy. Still, with the two Earth machines bearing down on them, there was little choice. Gritting his teeth, he pushed onward.
* * * * * * *
Brian Amis braced his massive Orion Alpha to the deck, watching the three enemy units begin their advance. As a part of the United Alliance's infiltration team, he and his wing man, Jason Singer, had been assigned to pacify and secure this deck. Their superiors had warned them about the various military research projects that were conducted here and the possibility of an active prototype or two putting up some resistance. Still, neither pilot had expected three adversaries to be waiting for them.
Singer's elaborate entrance, complete with commando style roll, had attracted most of the attention. While his smaller Foxhound mobile suit lacked the Orion-A's heavy armour and flight ability, its nimble frame could easily perform movements that its counterpart found physically taxing. Even now, the younger Singer was sniping at the oncoming GCE units with his beam rifle, letting golden hued shots wash over the lead suit and its squat follower.
Amis smiled, knowing that the two Earth machines had a clear advantage. The three targets before them were likely novice pilots, trainees or engineers at best. What's more, their machines were pre production models, and might not even be combat worthy yet. Just the same, he'd rather be cautious; they still outnumbered him.
He signalled his partner over the comm channel: "Singer, take the dumpster our, I'll distract the other two until you're done," he glanced at his target data, centering the crosshairs on the oncoming mobile suit. "Back me up when you're done."
"You got it, Mr. Leader, sir," Singer replied, with his usual good humour. His Foxhound turned its rifle on the hobbling EC-21, peppering it with fire. Armoured plates were shaved away in seconds, exposing a crackling array of wires and servos. Things were looking up.
* * * * * * *
Gabriel watched Julian's EC-21 take fire, and quickly turned his sights to the attacker. The waddling turret was not designed for direct combat, and wouldn't last long against the Earth Foxhound. Raising the X1's rifle, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as heat coursed through the cockpit. The generators charged, and let loose a furious stream of reddish light, ploughing through the Foxhound's upper body. The target's left side seemed to go limp, its arm falling away in a charred mess. Smiling, Gabriel signalled Julian over the comm channel.
"Jules, old man, send this UA blighter back were he came from, will you?" he chuckled, throwing back to his old accent.
"Now you're talking sensibly, dear fellow," Jules laughed, turning the EC- 21 into line with the Foxhound. The entire machine quivered as scarlet energy ripped over its form, right from the muzzle of Jules' turret barrel. A more powerful version of the Koshi's particle rifle, the EC's cannon could finish off the wounded Earth soldier in a single shot.
* * * * * * *
Brian's jaw had dropped as the lead mobile suit's lone shot had nearly crippled his partner. Realizing the full extent of what they had gotten themselves into, the two UA pilots were starting to fall back, looking for possible cover in the corridors from where they had come. Glancing back to the diminutive EC-21, his eyes widened at the growing storm that surrounded it. Grabbing his transmitter, he practically screamed to his partner.
"Jason!" panic was rising in his voice, not a good sign. "Back off! That dumpster's got live weapons! Get out of there now!"
Too late.
Julian's red energy stream hurtled out of the barrel, washing over Singer's mobile suit. In seconds, the Foxhound crumpled away, its upper body completely atomized under the fire. A pair of mechanical legs clattered to the hanger floor, half melted into a fused mesh. Singer hadn't even gotten a chance to scream.
Rage began to build within Brian, growing as his mind fully processed this sight. He was angry; at those GCE pilots for their heartless attack, at Jason for having played the hero, and himself for just watching it all transpire. Charging his Orion forward, he leapt over the Foxhound's meagre remains, and brought his beam sabre down upon the EC-21. The glowing blade sliced through the test type like butter, cleaving into two even pieces before it was cast into internal flames. Still, Brian was not satisfied. He turned to the other two targets.
* * * * * * *
Gabriel was dumbfounded. One moment, he and Julian had been celebrating the first kill, the next his best friend had ceased to exist. All that was left of him had been scattered along the floor by the Earth Orion-A, kicked aside as the United Alliance machine stomped forward, blade poised to strike. Focusing on his training, he started to shake off his grief, saving it for a more appropriate time. However, before he could meet the Orion's charge, Silvia's own Koshi skidded to a halt between the two. Firing her particle rifle, she managed to strip away the aggressor's right side, ruining his shoulder and arm weaponry. Still, it kept coming, stabbing its blade downward through her Koshi's waist, sending it to the floor.
"Silvia!" Gabriel's shout seemed pointless, the damage had been done.
"I'm... I'm okay," she replied, static building over the comm channel. "That S.O.B. just severed X2's leg linkage, I can't move. Damn it!" He heard her punch once of her screens, no doubt injuring her hand in the process. The Orion, meanwhile, pushed her aside, and continued to stalk towards Gabriel.
Raising his rifle again, Gabriel took aim, and fired. The shot, without proper targeting calculations however, went wide, tearing open another hole in the hanger's far wall. It was too late to adjust his aim as the UA pilot brought his sabre blade down over the X1's gun hand, severing it and the rifle from their mount. Reaching back with the Koshi's opposite arm, Gabriel unlatched one of them beam rapiers hanging from his suit's waist. The purplish blade sprouted to life, just in time to parry a second swing from his foe.
The two mobile suits sparred across the hanger, the Orion letting down a fierce serious of rapid strikes, the rage of its pilot fuelling every cut. Gabriel could only block the attacks, and wait for an opening. Suddenly, he found himself trapped against a wall, penned in with nowhere to turn. Behind his attacker, he could see Silvia's X2 prop itself up on its free arm, using its rifle to fend off another team of UA machines that was coming into the hanger.
Looking back to the Orion, he watched it rear its arm back, about to deliver the coup de grace. Thinking fast, Gabriel twisted his rapier over in his suit's hand, thrusting it forward, hoping to strike his attacker square in the chest cockpit. The blade sunk through armour, but the Orion advanced like a speared boar running up its hunter's weapon. The strike had been off center, thought portions of the beam blade had crackled into the pilot's compartment. Inside, Brian was biting back screams as the intense heat from the rapier literally cooked the flesh of his left side. He refused to give up, craving only revenge.
The Orion's beam sabre stopped just inches from the Koshi, both suits beginning to feel the extent of their respective damage. One by one, each man watched instruments die, robbing them of the opportunity to avenge their fallen friends. Sinking back into his seat, Gabriel waited for what would undoubtedly be a UA commando team to crack open his cockpit, and haul him away to a holding cell. Brian also fell back, giving in to the pain that was blurring his thoughts, slipping into unconsciousness. Before resigning themselves, both men silently promised to find out the identity of the other, so they might somehow finish what they started.