[Episode 4: All too quiet]
0-2-5 stood at the back of his team runs through the data that were allocated to them. Combat data, trends of attack, type of weaponry that the Union deployed against Vanguard. 0-2-5 was intrigued on the Nemesis, not because of its design of the mech but the threat it poses to the Gen-lock team.
From the first encounter to the first Nemesis being taken down, 0-2-5 spent no expenses on trying to identify the weak points, rewinding and slowing down the video time after time.
"Nanotech." 0-2-5 concluded that the only way to disable Nemesis was to punch a hole into the side armour with the MAUS experimental rifles, that would force the Nanotech to repair instead of defending or morphing an arm into weapons and close in with a weapon of sort, that could function the same as a Electrostatic discharge used by Chase during his fight with the Behemoth, to disable the nanotech that is either repairing or shielding the gap.
Disabling the Nemesis before finishing it off in one fell swoop.
No. It couldn't be that simple.
If the effectiveness of the ESD could have disable the Union nanotech, why didn't the Vanguard deploy them in larger quantity or improve on the charging time of this weapon?
Surely the Union wasn't that stupid enough to be constantly getting their own nanotech to be shutdown without a counter measure.
Behemoth anti-air weapons shot down the Interceptors carrying the ESD could hint that Union had trained or at least detect traces of the ESD.
That or the bright blue glow of the charging ESD makes them curious like a cat.
Either way, whosever carrying the ESD becomes a priority target by the Union forces.
What are the other solutions?
Pilot Cameron MacCloud was able to disable the nanotech through hacking when the Gen-lock team caught the Nemesis off guard during their last encounter.
This was something impossible for the Sparrows to pull it off.
How about destroying the environment around it, such as tall building?
0-2-5 shook his head.
Civilian casualties and damages to civilian structures would be too high of a price to pay for bringing down one single Nemesis.
What about catapulting fully charged ESD from a distance?
Surely it is the safest, long range bombardment of charged ESDs towards the target. However, they would be clay pigeons in a shooting range, begging to be shot down in the air, once launched.
Back to square one.
0-2-5 listed down his ideas and sent them to the Professor Ye Wen for recommendation. As he pressed the sent button on the screen, the alarms in Anvil blared. 0-2-5 signalled the pilots to prepare at the moment notice.
Able voice could be heard, calling for Sparrows and Gen-lock team to assemble in the Command centre. There were other code names being called out, telling them to report to their battle station, none of which 0-2-5 heard or interact with before.
0-2-5 and Gen-lock team heads towards the command centre, preparing to be brief on the mission.
"Multiple Union forces have been deployed, hitting cities and farming industry." Colonel Raquel Marlin showed the map and the location of the attack. "I'm deploying all of the reserves toward minor cities that were attack, while your team handles the main assault."
0-2-5 studied the map, something about these attacks seem odd.
Union forces were too fragmented. Spreading out their forces with no way of reinforcing the flanks?
"Sparrows will be deployed at the back to assist. However, no experimental weapon would be deployed, I'm not leveling the whole cities and streets in this mission."
0-2-5 salutes in respond to Colonel Raquel Marlin commands.
Liger's top mounted Cannon and Missiles pods were stripped off by the hangar's claws, revealing a white coat of paint underneath it. MAUS rifles were replaced with standard issued weapons Sniper rifles.
0-2-5 instructed his team to equip the Liger with SIEGFRIED type lll armour set, which was sent along with along with the new sets of Experimental weapons.
This armour set was meant to increase Liger class mechs armour without sacrificing speed and maneuverability. Considered to be the lightest weighing armour within the Heavy armour classification.
SIEGFRIED type lll armour set consists of two smaller forward-facing cannons, two mounted smokescreen launchers at the back and retractable blades on its heels.
Its black tint armour covered most of Liger body and the head, where the cockpit resides.
The red markings outline parts of Liger, even changing the gold tint of the cockpit to red, matching the colour scheme.
The escorts were slightly on edge as they saw the new armour Liger exiting the Hornbill. The colour scheme reminded them of Union and the fearsome look of Nemesis.
Vanguard and the others seem to handle their position with ease, not one Union forces leaked out and engage Sparrows and the escort.
Vanguard casualties were kept to the minimum while inflicting mass damage to the Unions.
However, this was the concern that 0-2-5 had as he activates a map of the attacks.
It makes sense for Union forces to attack the cities, as they could use their nanotech to capture populations. However, farming industries use mostly machines and had the least population in compare to the cities. Attacking that area would make the least sense.
Unless-
Lose the battle, Win the war.
The attacks were to mask the real objective of the Union attack.
0-2-5 turns the Liger around and his team followed after him without questioning. The escorts were confused as they saw them running off.
"Hey, come back here!" one of the Strider pilots shouted in the radio.
"Where are you heading?" Colonel Raquel Marlin watched as the marker of Sparrows getting further away from the escorts sent to protect them.
"Colonel. Cities. Diversion. Real target. Food Industry." 0-2-5 reports back. "Sparrows. Heading out."
"Colonel?" The striders await for her orders.
"Go after them" Colonel Raquel Marlin ordered the escorts.
"Colonel?! Anyone?!"
On the defence of the Farming industries, Vanguard forces were massacred by the overwhelming Union Forces.
Any request for backup were replied in silence. Their radar became useless, forcing them to rely on their eyes.
"What are we going to do?! We are screwed!"
The remaining Vanguard troopers hunkered down behind downed Striders and interceptors, spending their remaining bullets onto the Union forces.
"Enemy! At our six!" One of the Vanguard soldiers screamed in fear as a huge figure clad in black armour raced towards them with smoke coming out from its back.
The ground shook as the black clad mech closed in the Vanguard forces.
It was the end.
As the Vanguard troopers covered their eyes and ducked their heads, bracing for the end, the Black clad mech leaped into the air.
The Vanguard troopers watched as the Mech teared through the front ranks of Spider-Tanks and Union troopers alike with its front claws and body mass. Two canisters of Smokescreen ejected out from the launchers and lands on both flanks of the Vanguard forces.
"Retreat. Now."
A voice could be heard from the external speaker of the Mech.
The Vanguard forces neither stop and question who was the mysterious Mech unit nor protest on the command of a glowing red like eye peering back at them within the smoke.
The Escorts barely caught up with the Sparrows after unloading from the Hornbill. They could see the faces of the surviving friendlies racing out of the area, some helping the wounded.
"That couldn't be right, the radar showed that we are winning, how did the table turn against us?"
"Don't trust the Radar!" One of the troopers waved to get the pilots attentions. "Union forces found a way to mess with the Radar!"
Back at the battlefield, the union paused its attack as the mech briefly revealed itself from the smoke.
A massive cat like mech with almost the same colour scheme as Union forces, letting out a roar as if challenging them to a fight.
"Combat Synchronization. Sparrows." 0-2-5 ordered as his black suit lit up with red marking, similar to Liger.