Unmei Force: Soul
Chapter 7: Gilliam and Radha
In the Merit Island Base...
The base already had two units deployed outside, as one of them was a blue Gespenst with a orange visor, while the other was a strange mech, a bulky golem-like mech with a ordinary head. It's colours were yellow for the armour, and green for the visor, and there were two large shoulder beam cannons mounted on its shoulders.
"Major Gilliam, have you made contact with the Hiryu Custom?" The pilot of the yellow mecha asked, with a soothing and flowing female voice with a Indian accent.
"Yes, It's headed here to Merit Island Base." Gilliam answered back, as the pilot of the blue Gespenst.
"Will they make on time?" The other pilot asked again, with a worried tone.
"That's hard to say. Although we recovered the base, the area is still under DC control." Gilliam responded back with a grim tone. "If they discover we're launching a shuttle, they'll be on us quick. We must protect the launchpad at all costs, until they arrive."
"Roger that." The pilot responded back, with a gentle yawn after.
"What's wrong? You sound tired, Radha..." Gilliam asked in a concerned tone to the other pilot.
"Oh, I was just practising yoga asanas while I waited, but the Schutzwald has such a small cockpit." Radha answered back. "It's hard to perform them in this cramped space."
"Just don't get stuck between your seat and your arm-rest." Gilliam warned Radha sternly. "We still need you to help defend."
Radha giggles at the responses from Gilliam. "Why don't you give me a hand then?" Radha suggested with a optimistic tone.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time for that now." Gilliam answered back. "They're almost here..."
Soon, various DC fighters appeared in range of the fighters, as they approached the base, and the shuttle launch-pad behind them.
"The DC air fleet! So soon!?" Radha exclaimed with shock.
"That was quick! The conditioning of the tuned-up MKII must be done in battle." Gilliam commented. "Radha and I will protect the launchpad. All hands, prep for launch! Don't let a single enemy reach it, or else they will destroy the one shuttle we need."
"Roger that, Major." Radha complied quickly.
"Judging from their formation, the fighters from the south will come straight in first." Gilliam remarked on the enemy composition.
"Yes... I can sense it too... their desperation..." Radha muttered with a quiet tone.
"We'll intercept them first." Gilliam stated.
The Gespenst and the Schutzwald moved towards the south side of the base, encountering a group of DC fighters. Some of them fired their missiles at Gilliam, who merely used his elite skills to dodge out of the way of every single missile.
"That won't hit!" Gilliam mocked back, before he then made the modified Gespenst pull out a blue plasma blade that seemed more potent than the steel knifes that the Gespensts with the Hiryu Custom used before. "I'll finish you all with this!"
He then immediately leapt into reach of the fighters, as he sliced through each and every fighter, destroying them. Meanwhile, the Schutzwald immediately adjusted the mounted beam cannons, aiming for the fighter group farther away.
"...Shitali... Bandha traya... Connect the six chakras... There!" Radha chanted in a trance-like manner, before the cannons fired off twin beams of blue energy, which struck through the fighters, destroying them in a single shot.
"It seems that the enemies of this side are clear for now." Gilliam stated.
"How much longer before the Hiryu Custom gets here, Major Gilliam?" Radha asked.
"About 2 minutes." Gilliam stated an approximation. "And I'm sure that we'll face more than just fighters soon enough. Get ready to face reinforcements."
They soon made their way to the east side, where Gilliam used his machine-gun to mow down most of the fighters, while Radha used the autocannons on the Schutzwald's arms to shoot down the rest.
After they managed to clear the initial wave of enemies, as DC tanks rolled in front of the base, while many DC-owned Lions appeared near the formation of tanks, as well as another Guarlion.
"Taking over a base like this... Man, this mission sucks." Tenzan whined with annoyance. "
"The enemy reinforcements got here faster than the Hiryu Custom... Damn...!" Gilliam cursed.
"Hm? That Gespenst... is that the 007-01 Type R?" Tenzan pondered.
"Undoubtedly, it's the original model of the Gespenst Mark II." Tempest stated through the comms to Tenzan.
"And the other one is the Schutzwald!" Tenzan exclaimed, before he chuckled with amusement. "Maybe this mission may not be so bad after all!"
"...He seems happy to see us." Radha commented on Tenzan's ecstatic tone.
"Well, our PTs are very rare early-PT models." Gilliam stated.
"And the Major's mech is a fully-tuned test model. No wonder..." Radha concluded the line of thought. "There are only 3 of them in the world."
"But, the EFA only has a few of the mass-production versions deployed." Gilliam added.
"Yes. Because the EOT interfered with the project, the production was delayed." Radha continued.
"Therefore, in order to accomplish this mission... I had to have the test model brought in from the Moon. His fixation with antiques may work to our advantage." Gilliam replied back. "He won't harm it until he absolutely has to. We can use that to our advantage, because we can buy time until the Hiryu Custom arrives."
"Lions, advance! Take out their launch-pad, so that they won't have any of their plans in wait for us!" Tenzan ordered. "And don't blow those two up, or break them too much! Those PTs are worth going into my collection!"
Before the Lions could advance however, Gilliam and Radha managed to detect another presence entering the battle-field, as EXEC-Hero was flying right towards the base.
"What is that mech...?" Gilliam answered back. "I recall that the EFA has recognised that mech as one of the allied units... Could it be...!?"
"It has to be one of the mechs owned by the foreign faction of UF." Radha stated back. "If I recall correctly, the pilot referred to it, as the 'EXEC-Hero'."
"What is that mecha doing here before the Hiryu Custom? Had it managed to deploy off alone to reach us faster?" Gilliam questioned himself.
EXEC-Hero immediately pulled out the energy rifle, as it immediately blew the squad of tanks in front of the base.
"You again...!?" Tenzan screeched. "How many times are you going to appear right in front of me!?"
"Hello again, Tenzan. Haven't learned to stay out of my fights?" Richard retorted back with a ice-cold tone.
"Lieutenant Colonel Richter..." Gilliam answered back. "So it is you."
"Major Gilliam Yager, I presume?" Richard responded back. "Thank you for holding on until then. The Hiryu Custom will be shortly arriving. Until then, I'll do all I can to support you and your men. And who is your partner in the other mech?"
"That is Radha Bairaban, piloting the Schutzwald." Gilliam introduced Radha to Richard. "She is a Aggressor like me."
"I see... It is an honour to meet the both of you, as comrades to Major Sanger." Richard answered back. "We have a base to defend, Major Gilliam, so I suggest that we focus on the task for now."
"He seems to be... disturbed... but I cannot tell why." Radha stated, as if she was examining Richard through some extrasensory method.
The three pilots immediately clashed with the first wave of Lions, as Richard used the EXEC-Hero's arm-cannons and beam rifle to take down enemies, which Gilliam and Radha used their respective weapons to finish off those that were lucky enough to survive a direct hit from the experienced pilots.
As soon as the last Lion of the attacking wave fell, the Hiryu Custom appeared in the battlefield. Its appearance seemed to cause a reaction from Tenzan.
"Ha! Today's my lucky day! They're here too! I didn't get to play seriously with you other guys last time!" Tenzan exclaimed."
"Hiryu Custom, this is Major Gilliam Yager, requesting you protect the launch pad." Gilliam contacted Lefina.
"This is Lefina Enfield, Captain of the Hiryu Custom." Lefina hailed back. "What's in the shuttle?"
"We can talk about such matters later." Gilliam responded back. "Until the current DC troops have been routed or defeated."
"Roger that. All units, deploy!" Lefina ordered, as everyone moved out from the Hiryu Custom's mecha hangar, as the ground-based Gespensts and Alteisen landed in the water, which was much shallower than the ocean.
"So we meet again, you boot-faced horned pig!" Tenzan insulted Kyosuke.
"What kind of insult is that?" Kyosuke asked in response.
"I think that by boot-faced, he's mocking your attitude as a soldier." Fox reasoned. "And the latter part about a horned pig... Well, the Alteisen is horned, but I think that 'pig' was just plain insulting."
"Thanks for the explanation, sir." Bullet thanked Fox.
"I'll defeat him myself this time! That guy, with his smug and greasy attitude of his, really pisses me off!" Katina roared.
"They're quite young and spirited. I should teach them Asana to allow them to get in touch with their inner power." Radha stated with a joyous tone.
Richard felt a cold shiver down his spine, as if the term 'Asana' would be 'utter pain and torture' in different language or terminology.
"Just... take it easy on them." Gilliam responded back, trying not to make his voice sound like he's pleading, although some hint of worry and dread could be found in his voice. "Odd... Where's Sanger and his Grungust Type-O?"
Richard did not answer the question, as he immediately readied himself to continue the battle against the DC forces.
The Gespensts made their way towards the base, as Radha, Gilliam and Richard held the line, ensuring that no DC soldier would pass through their tight defences towards the shuttle launch-pad.
"Go! Slash Ripper!" Gilliam cried, as a blue variant of Bullet's T-Link Ripper launched from the modified Gespenst, as it arced across the Lions and cut right through them with great force.
"Woah... Major Gilliam has the Ripper weapon as well!?" Bullet spoke with awe.
Reisen and Fox immediately made their first act, after their Gespensts shook free of the body of water they were in, to coordinate their fire together, as they fired off a hail of machine-gun fire that tore a group of Lions to the point of severe damage. The damaged Lions didn't have much time to retailiate, as they were either taken down by a slash by Katina's Gespenst, or finished off from afar with the Weissritter's personal rifle.
Tenzan immediately advanced, before he was blocked off by Kyosuke, who rushed at him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kyosuke asked with a determined tone. "I think that it's time you woken up to reality."
"Like I'll lose to that junky PT of yours!" Tenzan shouted back with anger, before he then activated the Sonic Breaker, as the Guarlion was surrounded by a blue aura. "You're a goner! Sonic Breaker! I'll smash you into a million pieces with this!"
Kyosuke didn't even respond, as he calmly swerved out of the way of the attack. "Too slow." Kyosuke stated back. "You want to send me to meet with the base and the fleet you destroyed? Sorry, you go first...!"
The Alteisen immediately readied the Revolver Stake, as Kyosuke charged at Tenzan. "Pierce through!" Kyosuke cried. "Stop me... if you can!"
The Alteisen then impaled the Guarlion with the large metal stake-rod, as it managed to damage it quite significantly.
"Ugh! I can't be beaten by a bunch of losers!" Tenzan cursed, before Gus then came into view, with the shotgun in hand. "W-What!?"
"This is for the lives that you have taken, Tenzan!" Gus roared with righteous fury. "I will stop you as many times as it will take, and so will the others!"
Gus then managed to land a direct hit, as it pushed the Guarlion beyond its structural limits, as the Guarlion was smoking and burning in several damaged places.
"Tch! This Guarlion just won't work for me! Even the shoddy Gespensts could beat me in this!" Tenzan complained loudly. "I need a stronger mech that suits my style."
"I say you need more training." Kyosuke coolly stated.
"Training!? Ha!" Tenzan barked. "If I was truly trained, you'd all be already dead, especially you, you damn super-robot pilot! "We'll have fun next time, when I actually have something suited for me! See ya!"
Tenzan immediately ejected from the failing Guarlion, as it exploded, and the damaged pieces fell to the ground on the base, leaving the DC soldiers dazed at their commander's defeat. Katina used this change to immediately charge up her Gespenst's Jet Magnum, and used it to destroy one of the Lions before it could have a chance to fight back.
Without their commander, the DC Lions fell easily, as Richard, Kyosuke and Excellen mercilessly accelerated to the corners, and hunted down every single DC unit in the vicinity, until they were certain that all enemies were defeated.
"All done." Fox stated.
"Only a pilot like Tenzan could think this war is fun." Kyosuke pointed out with a grim tone.
"And only a moral-less bastard like him would spit on the sacrifices of the dead..." Richard spat with hate, as well.
"The shuttle should be safe right now." Gilliam said, as his tone show a sign of relief in it.
"No! Wait! There's another incoming contact! It's approaching the base at high speeds!" Eun warned everyone.
Suddenly, a Lion appeared, as Reisen seemed to be unimpressed.
"Only one Lion...?" Reisen asked. "This cannot be what it seems, right?"
Richard immediately noticed the Lion, as he made for it.
"I'm only here for one thing!" The slightly-garbled reply from the Lion, allowing no-one to be able to properly identify the voice, before the Lion made for the shuttle.
"You will not get past me!" Richard roared, as he fired off using his arm cannons at the Lion, in the hopes of hitting it.
However, the Lion swiftly dodged the gunfire, and zipped past EXEC-Hero before it could make another move.
"What the...!? Those are definitely not the moves of a typical DC pilot here!" Richard exclaimed. "Stop them! Now!"
Gus, Reisen and Fox immediately fired from afar, in order to bring down the elite pilot, although their shots didn't even come close to hitting him, because of the range, and the mobility of the Lion at full speed.
"Gotcha!" The pilot cried, as he raised the mech's rifle at the shuttle, before tearing into it with many shots.
"No! The shuttle!" Eun cried with horror.
"The mission's over... Retreating back." The pilot stated, before the Lion immediately left before anyone could pursue it.
"It retreated!? Eun, what's the damage on the shuttle!?" Lefina demanded from her officer.
"The cargo is intact, but the launch pad has been disabled severely! Repairs have to be made, if we are to use it for a proper launch!" Eun reported back.
"So the first team was an decoy. That AM was working alone. And someone with those flight patterns..." Sean noticed.
"Huh!?" Lefina cried, as she didn't know what Sean was talking about.
"That voice was most definitely not anyone we met." Richard answered back.
"Yes. The way it caught us off guard. That must have been..." Gilliam responded as well.
"Major Sanger. No questions about it." Kyosuke concluded with a stoic tone.
"Perhaps..." Excellen trailed off, unsure what else to say.
"It couldn't have been...! The Major...!" Lefina shouted with shock.
"No way!? The Major has betrayed us!?" Bullet exclaimed with a aghast tone.
"Not necessarily..." Richard responded back. "He wouldn't leave this to just me and Kyosuke, if he really defected. There has to be a reason behind all of this... There has to be."
"We'll dock inside the Hiryu Custom for now." Gilliam said. "Will that be fine, Lefina?"
"Y-Yes... Major Gilliam." Lefina agreed.
In the Hiryu Custom bridge...
Richard, Kyosuke, Lefina, Sean, Excellen were all at the bridge, with two new people. One was a Indian woman with short green hair and green eyes, wearing a purple and gold sash, golden ring bracelets on her arms, and the other was a purple haired man with blue eyes, wearing a futuristic white suit with grey metallic shoulderpads, and long sleeves with leather patches on them, as well as long and hard boots.
"To be honest, I was worried you wouldn't make it." The purple-haired pilot spoke to them first.
"Well, my crew is the best, and we had help from Langley, including our pilot team from the UF." Lefina answered back with a humble tone. "It is a honour to have you onboard, Major Gilliam."
"I can't believe Sanger defected to the DC." Gilliam answered back.
"I still haven't given up on him, and neither does Richard, it seems." Lefina responded back.
"I admire you for holding up that hope. But the reality is cruel here... Sanger sabotaged our shuttle launch." Gilliam responded back. "There is not much that could justify such an act."
"Yes... Yes I know..." Lefina looked away, as her eyes seemed a little bit dull from her melancholic state.
"Can we trust this Major Gilliam?" Kyosuke spoke in a low voice, as to avoid Gilliam hearing about the conversation.
"All the help we can get is appreciated, Kyosuke." Richard responded back with a frown. "I know why you are suspicious of him. It's because he's a former Aggressor, and our history with them is not good. Tempest is solidly supporting the DC in the name of vengeance against the EFA, and Sanger defected to the DC. So you're afraid that Major Gilliam will turn against us when we least expect it, don't you?"
"That may be so, but prejudice hides the truth." The Indian woman, who was the other pilot, Radha told the both of them in a calm manner.
"Who are you?" Kyosuke asked back.
"Oh, this is Radha Bairaban." Gilliam answered the question. "She's an employee at Mao Industries. The PT manufacturer located on the moon."
"I'm currently working on a man-machine interface for a new mech." Radha added as well.
"New mech, then the cargo of the shuttle is..." Kyosuke stated, as he placed a hand on his chin.
"You're very sharp, Lieutenant." Gilliam nodded. "The cargo consists of new mech parts and supplies for the company to work with."
"Supplies, then why are you launching them from here? Is the situation in space that bad?" Lefina asked in a worried tone.
"No. In fact, the current situation in the space colonies is more stable than here on Earth." Radha answered back. "Because of course, no one in the space opposes the UCC."
"Except for Mao Industries and the EFA forces on the Moon." Gilliam added as well.
"The colonists never did like us earthlings." Excellen quipped.
"They have no reason to fight the UCC because they protect them. And now the EFA has no power to attack the colonies directly." Kyosuke stated.
"Of course. The UCC was once a part of the EFA's forces. That's why the EFA has virtually no presence in space, since their declaration of independence from the faction."
"It's like having the kitty you're feeding, bite you." Excellen remarked.
"You mean by cat, you mean dog." Richard corrected. "Still, I don't know what caused this radical change of allegiances..."
"But our boss has no intentions of obeying the DC or the UCC. We'll continue to resist, even if it's just us." Radha commented as well.
"That's why you're delivering supplies to the Moon, all the way from the Earth?" Sean questioned Gilliam.
"The EFA cannot afford to lose Mao Industries. I'm military intelligence, so I was helping Radha investigate the situation in outer space." Gilliam answered back.
"...Has the cargo been damaged, Eun?" Lefina asked her officer.
"No, ma'am." Eun shook her head firmly.
"Then transfer it into the Hiryu Custom." Lefina ordered. "Change the coordinates for the Moon, and prepare to launch." \
"W-Wait, Captain!" Excellen asked, with a astonished expression. "We're going to the Moon, already!?"
"Yes, we are. Any objections?" Lefina firmly asked.
"No, I'd just rather admire the Moon from here." Excellen tried to say, although the words came out awkwardly.
"Well, now you can admire it up close, Excellen." Kyosuke told her, as a attempt to tease her.
"And judging by Ms Radha, I can admire the moon bunnies up close, too." Sean remarked.
Richard almost chuckled at Sean's statement, as he knew that Sean had no idea that a moon rabbit was right under their noses the entire time, Reisen herself.
"M-Moon bunnies?" Radha asked, pointing at herself with a confused expression.
"We'll be alone if we go up there, right, Captain?" Sean asked Lefina.
"Yes. Since HQ in Geneva is in turmoil... We must make the decision ourselves. Besides, our home base has been..." Lefina trailed off, refusing to state the fate of the Langley base.
"I understand, thank you for the help, Captain." Gilliam nodded, before he then left the bridge.
"Then, let's not waste any more time. Start the preparations." Sean stated.
"Just one question. Are all Gespensts outfitted for space combat?" Richard asked back.
"It would work as fine as it does underwater. Life support systems are there to ensure that prolonged battle can occur without any dangers involved." Lefina asked back. "Are you concerned about what might happen with the teammates who use them, like your own?"
"Sort of..." Richard replied back. "Don't worry about EXEC-Hero. It's fitted to handle space-combat well enough to count as using optimal efficiency. I take my leave, Captain."
Richard then left the bridge, as he made preparations for the team's first battle in space.
