Miguel was confused. Like, really, really confused. Information specifically stated six mobile suits. So, why was he looking at a seventh mobile suit?
Oh, if he only how much better it was going to get…
The three suits jumped out of the fire. Two –one with a longer skirt and a bulky one- landed deftly; the third, though, stumbled as it landed, barely maintaining enough balance to stay standing. Right then, the units separated, two running to stand next to the three GINNs while the other bumbled away.
It was then Miguel's comm. unit came to life, Athrun's voice coming through, shaky and erratic. "The information was faulty! There were ten units!"
"WHAT!" Miguel almost screamed.
Rusty naturally ruined the tension. "SWEET! Look at all these guns!"
-0-
Murrue didn't like the odds. It was the Strike against three GINNs, the Aegis, and the Maul. And the OS was a piece of crap. The only thing that would've made it worse was if the team was led by Rau Le Creuset (but at this point, she wouldn't gamble against it).
Behind her, Kira was drinking in the sights of the Gundams.
The first one held a certain elegance that the other suits couldn't match. It had a longer skirt and a strange antenna on its helmet and was one solid grey color.
The other was taller, had heavier armor, and decked out with rapid-firing weapons grafted into its chest and shoulders, a shield with a built-in Gatling gun, missile launchers in its shins, and six hexagonal packs mounted on its shoulders. It was intimidating to look at. Like the other, it was grey, though an outer layer of armor maintained a gold color.
Murrue's thoughts, on the other hand, were preoccupied with knowledge of what kind of weapons the other suits packed.
"This isn't good," muttered Murrue.
-0-
"What do we do about this last unit?" asked Miguel.
Athrun quickly weighed the options. And then he remembered Kira might be inside this particular machine. "Bring it back as unharmed as possible. But approach with caution; we're unsure of the pilot's capabilities."
He received a note of confirmation from all pilots present.
Shoving aside his personal feelings Athrun began working on the OS.
Before he could get too far into his programming, the factory exploded, catching everyone's attention. Suddenly, two other suits appeared out of the smoke, shocking everyone present.
"What the hell?" Rusty yelled, summing up everyone's thoughts.
Number one's landing was fairly graceful, but then it wobbled and fell to a knee. This unit looked agilely built compared to the others, especially when the boosters on its legs were added into the equation; two long, solid swords were attached at the elbow, and looked to be able to swivel forward when in use and backwards (as they were now) outside of combat. Athrun could also see the rocket anchors mounted in the sword units.
Two, though, was the one that caught Athrun's attention; in a display of grace not possible with the suits' current systems, it launched out of the smoke with active thrusters and then landed on a rooftop away from everyone. Look-wise, it had four wings on its back, two long and another two half the size of the others; its crest was longer and melded with the helmet.
"Who the hell's piloting those?" Miguel questioned.
Athrun made an order he wasn't fond of: "Change of plans: if you can't capture the machines, destroy them. Come on, Rusty; we need to get out of here."
-0-
Murrue withheld her sigh of relief as she watched the GINNs separate as the Maul and Aegis took off, each picking a target.
"Flip that switch! I need to know who's piloting those machines," Murrue ordered Kira as she dodged several bullets by jumping backwards.
Just as Kira went for it, the foot slipped out from underneath the Gundam, causing it to stumble and land into a building. Murrue growled as she countered with the Igelstellungs, missing the GINN by a wide margin but forcing it to back off.
"Damn it!" Murrue growled.
Kira, though, widened his eyes at the sight; he recognized the off calibrations.
The GINN raised its gun, but before it could pull the trigger, Murrue quickly pressed a white button. Across from the Strike, the GINN looked almost taken aback from the sight of the phase-shift armor activating, the Gundam quickly adopting a distinctive blue and white color scheme. It still fired, but every bullet bounced off the armor, red sparks raining from the points of impact.
Unsatisfied, the GINN dropped its rifle and pulled out its sword.
Kira distractedly looked at one of the cameras, finding his friends just outside the fighting zone. His eyes widened, realization dawning on their proximity to the battle.
"Grab that and push to here! Then press this!" Kira ordered from behind.
Murrue moved as ordered. The Strike ducked under the sword attack and rammed its shoulder into the attacker, sending the GINN into the dirt and away from civilians.
"How did you-" Murrue asked, only to be cut off by Kira.
"Let me have the cockpit!" Kira ordered. "All of the calibrations are off! I might be able to fix it!"
Murrue stared at him for a moment, carefully weighing the decision. She then nodded, prompting both to switch spots.
As Kira settled into the cockpit, he brought the OS up.
He was quick to display his dissatisfaction. "You've got to be…! You seriously put that kind of OS into this suit? It works against the machine!"
"It's the best we could do," Murrue tried to explain.
The GINN recovered, snapping the duo out of their conversation. Kira quickly pulled out the keyboard and typed away. The boy muttered incoherently as his fingers flew across the board, Murrue's eyes widening in disbelief at the speed he displayed. He rerouted power sources, created a stronger neural-link, calibrated every weapon system –he was fixing every single last mistake the original programmers made.
Finally the GINN rushed them, this time aiming to stab at the cockpit. Kira grimaced in concentration as he pushed on the pedal, sidestepping the attack; quickly pulling back on a lever, the Strike delivered a knee into the GINN sending the other machine stumbling backwards. Freed another couple seconds, Kira put the finishing touches to the OS.
He's inhuman, Murrue mused, watching as the teen lifted the keyboard out of the way.
"Okay," he took a deep breath. "Now for weapons…"
The screen switched, and Kira's mouth dropped. The only weapons were the Armor Schneider.
"That's it!"
He stopped complaining as the GINN charged again. Kira reacted instantly, pulling out the knives. With the Strike's newfound speed he slipped past the attack and stabbed into the GINNs neck, and then dug the other knife into its side.
Miguel escaped all the while making sure his MS was set to explode.
Murrue figured out what the enemy pilot did. "Get back!"
But Kira couldn't allow himself to move. His friends might get caught in the explosion if he did. Instead, he willed the Strike to brace itself as the explosion erupted. Much to his relief, the phase-shift armor buffered the damage to such an extent that the paint wasn't scratched.
Murrue sighed. "Okay, now that that's over, we should contact the other pilots."
-0-
The GINN dive-bombed Stella, but the blond activated her superior thrusters and nimbly dodged the antagonist. Her opponent fired its rifle, but the Estoc shifted its wings and flew to the side, escaping the attack.
Realizing her armor wasn't on yet, Stella activated the phase-shift. Immediately, static whistled as the Estoc became white with light grey detailing.
Despite the change in its opponent, the GINN remained undaunted. It pulled the trigger, but the bullets didn't even faze the Gundam. Stella countered by willing the Estoc to raise both hands, the wrist mounted 'Gathus' sub-machine guns raining laser shots. The GINN nimbly dodged the attacks, but it wasn't enough as Stella followed and clipped its boosters.
The GINN fell like a brick with Stella closely following. The Estoc landed a small distance away, and as it did, the longer wings folded over its shoulders and split down the middle, revealing the 'Ruda' impulse cannons.
A targeting display appeared over Stella's right eye. The reticule quivered as it locked onto the rising GINN, turning red and humming the tune of death. As her opponent fully stood, Stella pulled the trigger. A bright, blue/green beam shot from both cannons, flash-melting all parts it contacted and destroying every building in the way. No longer stable, the GINN exploded.
"Target destroyed," she murmured, the display moving out of her sight.
Now to wait for the others…
-0-
The name of this machine was GAT-X207 Raid, a machine built around the premise of close-quarters domination. Every weapon it was armed with was geared towards dissecting an opponent via metallic evisceration; the frame was lightweight compared to its brethren –it even had microthrusters built into its legs for added maneuverability.
Shinn thought it was the coolest thing since mankind put peanut butter and jelly together. However, there was one little issue…
He wasn't familiar with computer programming, but even he could tell the OS was bad. "Holy shit, the controls suck!"
Then the klaxons screamed.
On instinct, Shinn pulled the controls, barely dodging the GINNs sword swipe. The sword cut into the side of a building, demolishing the apartments.
The GINN had targeted this machine, and therefore targeted Mayu by proxy. Nobody dared to hurt his little sister, let alone touch her enough force to bruise! Nobody!
Shinn's full rage bubbled over with the force of Pompeii.
"You bastard!" Asuka roared as he willed the Raid forward with a fist.
The GINN wasn't fast enough to escape. However, with the awful OS and off calibrations, the Raid barely nicked the mobile suit's cheeks. Even angrier at the missed attack, Shinn tried to kick the machine, but instead tripped the Gundam.
"Why do these controls suck so bad! I can't even get a good hit!" Shinn raged.
Behind him, Mayu grimaced. Why was everything so off?
He pressed a button, shooting bullets from the Igellstellungs mounted in the suit's helmet in an effort to discourage the GINN from approaching. Given some room, Shinn willed the Raid to stand in a shaky stance.
Mayu moved next to him, pulling down the keyboard and bringing up the screen displaying the OS.
"That's it!" she muttered excitedly.
"What're you doing? You're in my way!" Shinn shouted, trying to look past Mayu to watch as the GINN drew its rifle.
"Shut up and pilot!" his sister ordered, quieting her brother. "Keep it busy and don't ask questions!"
"O-Okay," Shinn shakily agreed.
Immediately, she set to work. Her fingers flew at speeds unnatural for her age, the information on the console shifting rapidly from one screen to the next.
The enemy pulled the trigger, but Shinn side-jumped out of the way. Asuka grimaced in concentration as he pulled the joystick to the side, activating the microthrusters in the legs and easily dodging the GINN's next attack with time to spare.
Shinn realized that the controls were rapidly becoming more accessible.
While her brother evaded, the younger Asuka was correcting the OS. Everything is wrong! Mayu analyzed. Whoever designed this was trying to overcompensate for a lot of systems. Why would that be? Almost reminds me of the time Shinn tried reprogram his computer…
Of the family, Mayu was the most computer-literate. If there were issues with a laptop, a household device, or an overly advanced cell-phone, Mayu was called to help. In school, she found computer programming classes to be her favorite… unlike her brother who liked to skip them.
All of that gave her the knowledge to construct a new OS, or at least fix the controls enough for her brother to win. She wouldn't be able to pilot the Raid- she was coordinated, but not that coordinated- but her brother… Shinn was taking to the machine like a chick spreading its wings for the first time.
Shinn grinned, having the time of his life. Instinctively, he grasped the machine like it was an extension of his arm. It felt so natural.
He dodged, he swerved. He countered, he caught attacks. Shinn was testing the machine, the device which was slowly becoming a part of him.
Finally, Mayu put the finishing touches on the controls. "It's done!"
Shinn grinned.
In a deft display of control, he ducked under the GINN's sword swing and then used the microthrusters to spin around the machine and appear at its back. The bewildered GINN was careening into a building, courtesy of a knee.
"This thing is… awesome!" Shinn euphorically shouted.
Their comm. unit suddenly came to life. "People piloting the machines, can you hear me? Identify yourselves."
"Stella Loussier, pilot of the GAT-X305 Estoc," droned a mechanical girl's voice
Shinn couldn't resist. "This is Shinn Asuka, pilot of the Raid!" he almost shouted into the link.
"Alright, listen…"
Shinn stopped listening as his alarms roared.
His momentary lapse in concentration cost him; the GINN pulled itself out of the building and pulled out its sword. Shinn brought up the Raid's arms in a meager attempt to block the attack. Suddenly, Mayu leapt past him and pressed a white button. The GINN's attack was deflected as a static hiss reverberated inside the cockpit.
Now, the Raid was colored navy blue on its torso and knees and white over the limbs.
"What did you do?" Shinn asked, brought from his emotional high by the GINN –though he had to admit the Gundam looked awesome now.
"It's called phase-shift armor," Mayu explained. "It protects the Gundam from all basic weaponry."
"How do you know that?" Shinn raised a brow at his sister's knowledge.
Mayu smirked mischievously. "I brought up the catalogue."
"Really?" Shinn concentrated on the GINN as it rose back up. "Can it display weaponry?"
His sister typed on the keyboard. "Primary weaponry: two 'Beowulf' anti-armor solid swords."
"Cool," Shinn muttered, selecting the weaponry.
The single-edge sword swiveled forward, the tip glinting in the light of the colony. The GINN panicked and activated its thrusters to get away, but the Raid leapt at like a poised leopard. The Beowulf stabbed through the GINNs shoulders and into the thrusters, causing both parties to crash into the ground.
Shinn was quick to recover, ordering the Raid to switch the other sword forward and readying to end his downed opponent. But the GINN's pilot escaped, the machine exploding not long after; smoke erupted, but the Raid stood strong.
"Sweeeeet," Shinn whistled.
Murrue slowly came to. With a groan she sat up, rubbing her head. She noted the bandages on her arm and the smell of blood that no doubt belonged to her.
"I don't think you should be up yet," a female voice suggested.
Murrue turned her head to find a girl with auburn hair and sunny clothing looking over her.
"What happened?" Murrue asked, holding up a hand to the spot where her head throbbed.
The girl frowned. "You passed out from blood loss. My friend, Kira -who was piloting the suit you were in- brought you here so that we could stem the bleeding.
Murrue filed away the name of the boy she watched perform those amazing feats. "How long have I been out?"
"Not very long; maybe around fifteen minutes."
The lieutenant looked around, taking in her new surroundings. They were at a park. Nearby, the Strike kneeled, deactivated and colorless, as two other teens (both male) excitedly explored the suit.
"Where are the pilots? Or the other suits for that matter?" Murrue questioned.
The girl sighed. "Well-" She paused as she turned towards the Strike. "Get off that mobile suit! You guys are acting like you've never seen one before!"
At least Murrue wouldn't have to pull out her gun to get them off. The girl's edgy order was enough to get the boys off of the Strike, though with notable amounts of complaining.
"Anyways…" Mirialli continued. "I'm afraid we don't know where the other mobile suits are. Kira tried to contact them earlier; both are supposed to be on their way over here."
"Okay, I'll-"
Murrue was interrupted by the sounds of an MS walking towards them. Everyone turned to watch as navy-blue and white suit walked around a corner, coming to a stop next to the Strike and kneeling as the PS armor deactivated.
The hatch opened, two even younger teens appearing out of the cockpit. One was a boy and the other an even younger girl.
The boy's shouting could be heard throughout the park. "See! I told you they'd be here! Your directions suck almost as much as that OS did!"
"Shut up!" the girl shot back.
The two clambered down the suit and walked towards everyone else. If Murrue had to guess, the boy was around fourteen while the girl couldn't be older than thirteen.
"What the hell is going on?" ruby-eye rudely asked.
The girl smacked him on the back of his head. "Use your manners!"
"They're getting younger everyday!" whispered Murrue to herself in shock.
"You guys piloted that?" asked Sai, as he came towards them.
Another teen –this one with wavy brown hair- followed glasses' wake.
"What of it?" Shinn asked.
His little sister (Murrue was guessing on this) spoke up. "He did pilot it. However, I was the one that fixed the OS for my brother. It took me a while, but I managed it." Oh, good; she was right about the girl being-
Holy shit! She reprogrammed the OS! Murrue's mouth dropped, the information hitting with the force of a freight train.
"That's incredible!" Tolle shouted. "How long did it take you to fix the OS?"
"About five minutes, but it's not fully done yet. I just fixed the controls."
Murrue bit her lip, remembering how Kira fixed and completed the OS for the Strike in less than two –it was something to behold. But this girl was even younger than Yamato! Could she be one of them?
"It's still impressive," interrupted a voice Murrue recognized; Kira rejoined the group, his mechanical bird landing his shoulder. "Did you take some computer programming classes?"
"Yeah, a few. I'm supposedly the best in my class, but I keep thinking the teacher is over exaggerating."
All conversations ceased as the third and last Gundam joined them. Debris scattered as its thrusters kept it suspended in the air. Finally, it touched down, shaking the ground. Unlike the others, it remained standing.
The cockpit opened as the phase-shift came down, revealing a girl as young as Shinn, wearing a blue dress, a bag slung over her shoulder, and with a head of flaxen hair. She gripped the zip-line, gracefully contacting the ground. She skipped over to the group and cocked her head at the strange stares she was getting.
Shinn was the first to find his voice. "It's you!" he shouted while pointing.
She frowned at the sight of the young teen. Wasn't he the one that was looking at her strangely several hours ago? Hmm… they didn't teach how to deal with situations like these at the base…
Kira, though, was shocked for another reason: this girl was almost a miniature replica of that tomboy! They looked almost exactly alike! Except for their eyes… That weird girl's were amber while Stella's were magenta –not fully like his but close enough, which was kind of freaky speaking that purple eyes were very rare even among Coordinators.
"Hello," Stella finally said, though sounded slightly strained –she was unsure of what to say, with this being so new and all.
"How did you pilot the Estoc?" Murrue finally asked, shock pervading her voice.
"Rewrote the OS," Stella answered in a clipped tone.
It was enough for the oldest one present to rub her face. You know, after hearing everything else so far, I can fully believe that. I'm seriously going to need a stiff drink later…
Now that everyone was here, Murrue figured now would be a good time to get to business. She pulled out her gun and fired a round into the air, getting everyone's attention and making them back away. The lieutenant motioned for everyone to get into a group; Stella remained unmoving –she had an idea of where this was going, speaking that the G-weapon project was top secret; Murrue was simply doing what was protocol.
"What're you doing!" Tolle shouted in outrage.
"All of you have been introduced to delicate military secrets," Murrue explained, lowering her gun. "It's something civilians shouldn't handle carelessly."
Tolle decided at that moment to be a smartass, with a matching smirk. "You do realize that three civilians just rewrote the entire operating system of those machines, right?"
The gunshot fired into the air and the glare he received was enough to shut him up.
"You friggin' bitch! We just got done handing GINNs' their asses! And now you're taking us hostage?" Shinn shot at her, wanting to get at the woman for pointing a gun at his sister, who was behind him and peaking from his shoulder.
Murrue continued. "Tell me your names."
"Mirialli How."
"Sai Argyle."
"Kuzzey Buskirk."
"Tolle Koenig."
"Shinn Asuka," grumbled out said teen.
"Mayu Asuka."
Kira glared at her for several seconds before finally relinquishing his name. "Kira Yamato."
Murrue turned to the last one, finding the girl distracted by her surroundings. Realizing she was being stared at, Stella returned her attention to Murrue, but remained silent, as if she didn't hear the earlier conversation.
"What is your name?" Murrue asked with some command.
The young girl quickly snapped to attention. "Stella Loussier."
"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius. I'm an officer of the Earth Alliance Forces," said Murrue. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I cannot allow any of you to leave."
"What?/The hell?" was the collective response, excluding Stella who was once again distracted by the park –she'd couldn't remember seeing so much green before!
Mayu restrained Shinn from making a rash move.
"What're you doing?" Tolle "We're citizens of -OW!" He harshly received a heel to his toes, courtesy of Mirialli.
"She has a gun!" Mir warned with a hiss.
"Now then," Murrue lowered her gun. "How much power is left in the Raid and Estoc?"
Mayu answered for Shinn since he was still temperamental, and therefore lacking tact. "The Raid is pretty low, actually."
Stella cocked her head as she answered –she managed to tune back into the conversation right around the time Murrue asked another question. "The Estoc's battery is halfway depleted."
"'Kay," Murrue said, nodding. "You two," she pointed at Sai and Tolle. "If we want to stand a chance of getting out of here in one piece, I'll need both of you to find truck number four. It should contain equipment for the Strike. As for Kira, Shinn, and Stella, you three will continue to pilot the suits. I also need someone to call for help."
"Fine," Kira agreed with a grumble.
Shinn's bad mood was reversed in .6 seconds; he pumped a fist excitedly –he loved his MS, after all. Stella simply nodded in assent and moved to her suit to work the radio.
-0-
Stella climbed into her cockpit and started it up. From the cameras, she could see a truck driven by the two boys headed their way. That was good. With two active mobile suits, everyone's chances of surviving jumped a mere twenty-two percent to a much more satisfactory thirty-eight.
She flipped on the comm. link. "This is Stella Loussier of the Earth Alliance. Allies, please respond." All she got was static. "This is Stella Loussier of the Earth Alliance. Allies, please respond." Still nothing.
Loussier frowned. The interference was greater than she imagined. It was possible there was an N-jammer nearby, most likely for the safety of the colony. If that was the case, she wasn't going get anywhere.
She crawled out of the cockpit. "There's too much interference!" she shouted to Murrue.
"Alright then, go ahead and come down."
Stella didn't. While the enemy was nearby, she was uncomfortable leaving her weapon. Instead, she sat at the edge of the cockpit, her legs swinging lazily.
Finally, the truck containing equipment for the Strike arrived.
"Okay, Kira, get into the Strike, move it over there, and kneel next to the truck," Murrue indicated to the spot near trailer. "Once there, we'll mount the Launcher Striker. The battery and the equipment are integrated, so once it's mounted the Strike should have full power."
Kira did as told. Within minutes, the phase-shift activated and the Strike moved into position.
"Now, Sai," Murrue continued. "I need you to press a button on the dashboard. It should open the trailer and begin the mounting process."
Shinn, who was leaning against the pavilion's leg, cocked his head at the sight. "The Strike seems like the weakest unit to me. I mean, mine is this awesome close-range machine, but what can this hunk of junk-"
His question was answered as he watched the big gun appear out of the trailer.
"Whoa…" Shinn managed to get out.
Murrue smirked at his gob-smacked appearance. "The Strike, by itself, is the weakest machine, yes. However, when equipped properly it can fulfill almost any role that the other G-weapons can do."
Mayu frowned. "G-weapons? That's not really good name. Personally, I like 'Gundam'."
"Gun…dam?" Murrue carefully rolled the name on her tongue. "Where'd you come up with that?"
Shinn answered for his sister. "You know, the name that appears on the start-up-"
An explosion echoed through the air. Everyone looked up and watched as a lone CGUE flew out of a fireball, trailed closely by an orange Mobius unit.
Stella was already in her unit, strapped in, and activating all systems.
-0-
The mission was botched from the start! Rau Le Creuset almost couldn't believe his eyes. There were three more units than the information stated!
He then noticed the Strike being loaded with an armament.
"We can't have that," he muttered.
He immediately dove past the Mobius unit towards the Strike. However, his eyes widened behind his mask as one of the suits rapidly came to life, leaping off the ground and rapidly shifting colors.
-0-
The Estoc was built with a '300' frame, the same kind used as the Aegis, making both MSs sister-units. As such, it had a capability to get everyone out this predicament unscathed: the ability to transform.
As soon as she was aerial, Stella pressed a red button. Within seconds the Estoc smoothly transformed into a sleek plane with forward-swept wings and frontal canards. Displaying the catalogue, she found the Ruda cannons switched with 'Falchion' anti-armor missiles.
With incredible speed, the Estoc shot past the CGUE, and rapidly transformed back into MS form. Stella quickly unleashed a rain of bullets from the Gathus, causing the CGUE to divert course for the sake of self-preservation. Instead, it turned its attention onto her, its rifle ablaze. The Estoc took the bullets head-on knowing that the phase-shift could handle them, and charged forward, both wrist-mounted guns ablaze.
-0-
Rau dodged another rain of Gathus shots and whirled past the Estoc. The Mobius Zero came from behind, readying its linear cannon, but Rau slowed and spun, grasping his unit's sword. The Zero knew what was coming, but even evading it the unit still lost the barrel of its weapon.
"Sorry, Mu La Flaga, we'll have finish this-" He was interrupted as the Estoc dove past him in a transformed state, but it was a distraction as a missile slammed into the back of his unit, destroying one of the CGUE's thrusters. "You're better than you look!"
With a growl, Rau forced his remaining boosters to push himself backwards, dodging another missile. Using this to his advantage, he forced his unit to fall backwards, missing the kick the Estoc had coming towards him. Smirking in triumph, he dived towards the Strike as it finished docking, readying his sword to deal a death blow.
"I won't let you!" he roared.
However, the Gundam shot past him and rapidly transformed into MS form while spinning to meet him, the Ruda cannons arming themselves.
In a moment of genius, Rau charged forward anyways and threw his sword into one of the charging cannons just as it fired. Although one cannon successfully fired and flash-melted the CGUE's arm, the other exploded, saving Rau from suffering the same fate as his unit's arm.
However, the attack had the unintentional side-effect of punching a hole into Heliopolis's delicate superstructure.
Like any good gambler, Rau knew to quit while ahead. Thus he retreated through the hole before anyone could finally kill him.
"This is turning out to be one of those days," he museed to himself with a sigh.
-0-
The Estoc didn't give chase.
Stella didn't like death. She feared it. When the sword pierced the Ruda cannon barrel and caused it to explode, she thought death was going to take claim.
It didn't happen, but the close encounter with the Grim Reaper was enough for Stella to stop pursuing Rau.
She white-knuckled her controls as sweat beaded her brow. Her breathing was laborious.
"Hey, you okay in there?" came a voice through the communication link. Male. Older than twenty, possibly around thirty.
She didn't answer.
"Hey, talk to me!" he was sounding a bit more panicked.
"I…" she couldn't bring forth any words.
"Oh, good," the voice sighed in relief. "You're okay. Sound shaken up, though. I'd be too if I were you."
Her alarms came to life as her phase-shift came down. Still, she didn't move an inch from where the Estoc hovered in the air.
At that moment, another explosion echoed through the colony. Above, a white ship gracefully descended on the war torn colony like a battle-ready angel. Seeing no action the legged ship simply floated across the artificial sky, armed and ready.
-0-
Murrue sighed in relief at the sight of the Archangel. At least one thing turned out okay today…
Better the Ruda than the Agni, I suppose, Ramius groaned as she ran a palm across her face. The hole's fairly small, barely able to fit that CGUE that flew through it.
However, had that been the Agni, the damage would've been far greater. So, it was probably a good thing that the Strike being armed was no longer necessary.
"I can't believe she punched a hole into the wall," Shinn muttered in disbelief, eyeing the escaping air as it was sucked into the abyss of space.
"I didn't know it was so fragile," Sai breathed in shock.
"Alright," Murrue said, catching everyone's attention. "Now that the lifeboats are fully locked… all of you will have to join us on the Archangel."
Author's Note: Another chapter, another day. The brief display of battle was fun to write, and longer than the original draft depicted. I had the Estoc punch the hole rather than the Strike, as you could see; no matter the AU, almost all of them have the Strike punching the hole; I just thought a change-up would be nice.
And for you Mu fans out there, I've got plans. Really awesome plans we've had yet to see on this site!
For the fate of the tenth unit, wait until next chapter. No, it's not destroyed.
I would also like everyone to note that there is a very specific naming pattern to the Gundams in SEED universe, even in the first 5 suits. Random names do not work, which is what I find every time I read a SEED fanfic; I'm surprised so few see this. The model number is also specific, and denotes frame type; again, not everybody sees this.
It's become a tradition to post MS information for viewers. I'll do the same. However, the information will only appear when the particular suit enters a combat situation. I'm also going to make it look as 'file-ish' as possible. Also, I might hint at stuff in the story…
So, without further ado, here's the…
Archangel Mobile Weapon Database:
GAT-X105 Strike
Model Number: GAT-X105
Code Name: Strike
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
Operator: Earth Alliance
Current Pilot: Kira Yamato [Coordinator, Civilian]
Head Height: 17.72 meters
Approx. Standard Weight: 64.8 MT
Accommodations: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit
Powerplant: Ultracompact Energy Battery
Armor: Phase-Shift Armor
Role: Multi-role
Standard Armament: X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, X2 'Armor Schneider' Combat Knife
Special Equipment and Features: Hard points for mounting 'Striker' packs.
AQM/E-X01 'Aile' Striker –A balanced unit designed for general purpose use. It carries basic armaments for every situation. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X102 Dual.
Armaments: X2 Beam saber, 57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle, Shield
AQM/E-X02 'Sword' Striker –This unit endows the Strike with close-quarters domination capabilities. In exchange, its range is short; some of the weapons are specifically to bring enemies close in for this very reason. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X207 Raid and the GATX-208 Blitz combat capabilities.
Armaments: 'Schwert Gewehr' 15.78 meter Anti-Ship Sword, 'Panser Eisen' Rocket Anchor, 'Midas Messer' Beam Boomerang
AQM/E-X03 'Launcher' Striker –The Launcher Striker gives the Strike heavy, long-range firepower. In exchange, it has no protection against enemies that utilize close-range combat. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X103 Buster and the GAT-X106 Reach combat capabilities.
Armaments: 'Agni' 320mm Hyper Impulse Beam Cannon, 120mm Anti-Ship Vulcan Gun, X2 350mm Gun Launcher
AQM/E-X04 'Gunbarrel' Striker –A special unit that utilizes the gun-barrels of the famed Mobius Zero. The skill required is incredible and only few users are able to maximize this Striker unit's abilities. This unit was specifically created for use by Mu La Flaga.
Armaments: X4 Gunbarrel pod, 57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle
AQM/E-X05 'Supplice' Striker – This Striker was created as a suppression unit, capable of taking on multiple targets. Its powerful weapons are capable of tearing apart enemies at multiple ranges. However, this unit lacks close-range combat capabilities. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X104 Maul combat capabilities.
Armaments: 'Ogoto' 240mm Contact-Grenade Cannon, 64mm Heavy Assault Rifle, 53mm Mid-Range Assault Rifle, X2 220mm 6 Barrel Missile Launcher
AQM/E-X00Z 'Glint' Striker –Of the five original Striker units, only the Glint unit is truly experimental. This is an attempt to weaponize Phase-Shift technologies, and as a means to counter Phase-Shift armor. It was incomplete until the mechanics aboard the Archangel finished it as a means to counter the stolen Gundams. Primarily, this unit is close-ranged, sporting speed rivaling the Aile unit. It has one lone powerful beam weapon on par with even the likes of the Scylla and the Agni. The price for the Glint's incredible abilities is a shortened battery life that is only half as long as the other units. With experimenting, Kira was able to further the Glint's abilities to an unknown length
Armaments: X2 'Exora' Phase-Shift Armor Swords, 'Saluax' 220mm Phase-Shift Cannon
P220QX Integrated Weapons Striker Pack –No Data
P240QX 'Lightning' Striker –No Data
P260QX 'Liquid' Striker-No Data
P280QX 'Solidus' Striker –No Data
GAT-X207 Raid
Model Number: GAT-X207
Code Name: Raid
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
Operator: Earth Alliance
Current Pilot: Shinn Asuka [Coordinator, Civilian]
Head Height: 17.09 Meters
Approx. Standard Weight: 69.9 MT
Accommodations: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit
Powerplant: Ultracompact Energy Battery
Armor: Phase-Shift Armor
Role: Close-Quarters Domination
Standard Armament: X2 'Beowulf' Anti-Armor Solid Sword, X2 'Panser Eisen' Rocket Anchor, X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, 34mm Beam Pistol
Special Equipment and Features: High-Maneuver Microthrusters
Notes: One of the suits that managed to escape ZAFT's control. The Raid uses a specialized lightweight '200' series frame for added speed in close range combat, making it the most agile of all the original Gundams. It has almost no long-range capabilities, except from its beam pistol, but even that is used as a last resort; to make up for this, the Panser Eisen are used to drag opponents in.
The Panser Eisen are mounted in the Beowulf beam swords located on the elbows and can only be fired when the swords are not in use; in combat, the swords swivel forward from the elbow and are solid. The beam pistol is located on the Raid's back.
Unit is piloted by civilian Shinn Asuka. The suit's operational systems are maintained by civilian Mayu Asuka.
GAT-X305 Estoc
Model Number: GAT-X305
Code Name: Estoc
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
Operator: Earth Alliance
Current Pilot: Stella Loussier [Biological CPU, EA Identification Number: EX-Y421321]
Head Height: 18.63 meters
Approx. Standard Weight: 80.21 MT
Accommodations: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit
Powerplant: Ultracompact Energy Battery
Armor: Phase-Shift Armor
Role: Atmospheric Combat
Standard Armament: X2 'Gathus' 52mm Energy Submachine Gun, X2 'Ruda' 120mm Impulse Cannon, X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, X16 'Falchion' Anti-Armor Missiles
Special Equipment and Features: Transformable Frame
Notes: Although, most of the MSs were designed for zero-gravity combat, the Estoc was specifically developed for atmospheric missions. It is the sister unit of the Aegis, and therefore utilizes the same frame. Unlike the Aegis, which primarily utilizes close-ranged combat with its wrist-mounted, heel-mounted beams sabers, the Estoc primarily utilizes long range capabilities. Unfortunately, the unit was activated before a beam saber could be installed. Of the units, it is the fastest, but only in its transformed state.
The Ruda cannons can only be utilized in MS form and are installed in the wings. The Gathus are mounted in the wrists and can be utilized in both modes. The Falchion missiles can only be used in Jet mode.
Unit is piloted by Biological CPU Stella Loussier, Earth Alliance identification number EX-Y421321.
Database requires further updates. Signing off.
I'll give you personal author notes on Gundams and other MSs here.
On the Strike, I simply doubled the number of Striker units. Unfortunately, I won't be utilizing the Gunbarrel for a number of reasons; Kira doesn't have the capabilities, it was never used in the show, and it just doesn't strike my fancy. However, to make up for this, I created the Supplice and Glint units, both awesome enough to make me giddy just thinking about them. By the time the Archangel defects, the first Striker units will fall out of use in favor of their much more awesome Orb cousins. If you end up thinking the Supplice and the Glint are cool, just wait for the Solidus and Liquid units. Kudos to anybody who can find the cookies.
The Raid was interesting to develop. I wanted to stray from the Exia design that's so popular, which wasn't an easy task, considering that the Exia has so much awesome that looking at it is like dividing by zero. What I got was a design that actually lends its weapon structure from Astray Blue Frame, though the weapon armament is downsized for the sake of matching its first generation brethren. Its coloration is a tip of hat towards Nu Gundam from the Universal Century.
The Estoc maintained its overall design from the start, with changes only coming from its name and plane design. The plane structure is actually similar to the modern SU-47 Berkut, with the forward swept wings; which would also make this somewhat of a prototype of the Murasame. The name… Well, I went through almost ten names and wasn't happy until I found Estoc, which is a type a saber, furthering the Aegis and Estoc's status as sister units. Originally, the name was going to be Hrunting, but I changed it for the sake of ease in pronunciation. And Estoc is so much cooler to look at.