Hey guys, and I'm here for Chapter 3! I'm sorry for not posting a new chapter for a while. I don't have any announcements for now, so enjoy!

I don't own Armored Core and Muv-Luv.


Chapter 3: Calm Before The Storm

At the underground lab of Yokohama Base…

September 12, 2001

"Ugh…just what am I missing?" a lone scientist said to herself as she examined her research papers once more.

For about seven years, she did everything she could for her plan to succeed. Create the 00 Unit, make said unit work, set up an anti-BETA intelligence network and find the BETA leadership, contact and communicate with said leadership and kill them if they don't stop attacking mankind. And most of all, prevent Alternative V from happening.

Sounds easy enough, but it sure as hell doesn't as she's facing a few but critical problems right now.

For example, she's currently trying to figure out how to make a computer advanced enough to make the 00 Unit function. But looking at their current technology, she can only use superconductors to make it work.

The problem? It takes 15 billion superconductors to get the job done. She have to make all 15 billion superconductors fit in the palm of her hand, and that itself is impossible enough!

She then slapped herself with both of her hands. "Come on! You're Yuuko Kouzuki! If you can't solve this problem, who else can?" she said to herself.

She was about to continue working when she heard the door in the underground lab open. She didn't spare a glance as there's only one could enter this particular area besides her. "Yashiro, what is it?" she asked the person who entered the lab.

Yashiro is a little girl with white hair and silvery amethyst eyes. She wore the standard UN uniform with a patch that signifies her as a member of Alternative IV, and fake bunny ears adorned her head.

One more thing to note about her is that she is an Esper, individuals displaying special abilities, like reading inner thoughts of a person as an example.

The girl answered her, "The general called. Large activity in the portal." Yuuko raised an eyebrow in interest.

The massive portal appeared nearly 2 years ago a dozen kilometers near Sadogashima. From all observations and readings she could get, the portal likely leads to an alternate universe.

What's more intruiging is that the BETA took an interest at the portal and sent about half of their forces to the other side. The war should've been easier at that point on forwards due to the BETA's lesser numbers, but the BETA at Mars and the moon started to send in their own forces to Earth since then, replenishing their numbers back to their initial count.

And it doesn't stop there. Ever since last year, the BETA began to display tactics. They tend to coordinate with one another and do flanking maneuvers at some skirmishes.

Thankfully, such events are random and would rarely occur, but the notion of the BETA being potentially capable of actual warfare is quite worrying.

Her theory about it was that something at the other side of the portal made the BETA gain the capability of military warfare. But what could warrant the BETA to have such abilities?

Just these past few weeks however, the BETA stopped sending in their forces to the other side. However, they sent some reinforcements from Cheorwon to Sadogashima. It was as if they were preparing for something.

Looking back to the topic, Yuuko decided that her research can wait for a while. "Alright then, lead the way."


At the conference room…

"Brigadier General, you've called because something happened at the portal. What's the situation?" Yuuko asked Brigadier General Paul Radhabinod the moment she entered the room.

The commander merely motioned her to the wide TV screen. "See for yourself. It's a live footage from one of our drones." Was his only reply. What she saw surprised her very much.

A sizable fleet of hundreds of ships of varying size and classes are coming out of the portal. Looking at the ship designs, she can tell that these aren't one of theirs or of any nations.

"An invasion force. Now I know why there's been a lot of BETA activity at Sadogashima lately. They have been preparing a welcoming committee for these guys." She concluded.

Radhabinod nodded in agreement. "And seeing that they are coming out of the portal nearly two years since the BETA have been sending their own forces in the other side, they must have an excellent military force and advanced technology that pushed the BETA out."

Yuuko then noted something at the island. "Huh, most of the Laser and Heavy laser-Class BETA are situated behind the hills at the island. The invaders got an advantage, at least."

She noted the fleet composition. "Their forces are very diverse to counter all known BETA strains. Though, those fast-moving TSFs are very different from one another. Mercenaries, maybe?"

The submarines then emerged and deployed missiles and…drones? No, they're not just normal surveillance drones like the ones they have. These are suicide drones. They are small and can fly low enough not to get hit by Laser-Class BETA.

"How come we haven't made any form of research to create new unmanned weapon systems?" the general asked to no one in particular, in which the doctor replied.

"Beats me. But if we did, casualties could've been much lower and winning the war will be much easier. Maybe I should create a smart AI for the 00 Unit, then?"

She continued. "Another thing to note though, they created suicide drones, which means that they have enough resources to create such weapons in a large scale. And those two green ships with quad-barreled cannons are basically moving firebases that surely took a lot of resources to build, operate, and maintain. Not to mention those four fast-moving hydrofoils that does strafing runs at the beach with their missiles."

She then saw the "TSFs" engage the BETA at three locations, which surprised her as the "TSFs" exhibited combat abilities and technology that surpassed what they currently have. Energy weapons, superior maneuverability, regenerative shields. There's even one that fired a powerful energy weapon that obliterated a Fort-Class in one shot. One shot!

"So that's why there's just 12 of them. They can take on the BETA far better than our TSFs do."

The Brigadier General added in, "The unknowns did Laserjagd and combined arms strategies in fighting the BETA, and to great effect too. They sent those 12 to deal with the Lasers and the bigger BETA strains, while the conventional forces deal with the smaller strains and remaining stragglers. A sound strategy, and it tend to save more resources as they don't have to let those TSFs waste more ammunition on lesser threats and have the cheaper small-arms and anti-armor weapons deal with the rest."

They continued watching the live footage until the "TSFs" have cleared the beach of nearly all Laser-Class and Fort-Class BETA. Yuuko looked at the time and saw that the onslaught lasted for a mere 8 minutes. "Their TSFs killed off a BETA horde in 8 minutes without casualties, and that's our TSFs' average survival time in a battle of the same magnitude."

"Agreed. If our TSFs ever fought against theirs, ours will be slaughtered with little to no chance of fighting back. There's only a few TSFs that I know that could probably go against them." Radhabinod said.

Yuuko asked, "The F-22 and SU-47?" he nodded in confirmation. "Well yes, given that the SU-47 were piloted by Espers."

She then listed off the 12 "TSFs". Citing their armaments and fighting style, Yuuko noticed one "TSF" in particular.

It was a strange unit, having significantly different aesthetics and design. Instead of using complex hydraulics and other mechanisms for movement, it's using glowing red conductive nanotubes of sorts that gave it better mobility than the rest.

Its energy shields were no joke, too. Its energy shield only broke once from a dozen concentrated Heavy Laser shots and it simply regenerated within seconds.

And looking at the way it fought, it seemed to be holding back by a large margin. Unlike the others that kept on dodging BETA attacks while shooting, this one in particular just took things in stride. No fancy maneuvers, no high-speed dodges. Just plain casual boost, shoot and slash towards BETA nearing it.

The pilot of that unit must be very bored of BETA if they were fighting like that.

"Doctor?" She snapped out of her concentration and voiced out her thoughts. "You see that black and red TSF by the beach?" the general nodded in confirmnation.

"That thing's a lot different than the rest." She said to him. "Yes, I've seen it too. It can easily intercept attacks from its blind spots and casually dodge lasers by either boosting sideways or plain sidestepping. It's either the unit is very powerful or the pilot is very experienced that the BETA bores them."

"I had the same thoughts as you."

They saw the fleet send in a large wave of conventional forces to the beach. "Think they'll take Sadogashima with that much forces?" Yuuko asked.

The general answered, "Only one way to find out." He then continued, "If they did manage to win, we'll try send in some envoys in an attempt to contact them."

"Do you have someone in mind?" she asked. "I will work on it, but I can tell that you want to go as well, don't you? Their tech interests you."

She grinned. "You know me too well." Before they continued on observing.


Somewhere in Yukon Base…

"Major Sandek, so nice of you to answer my superior's request to have a word with you."

"Please, it's Lieutenant now. Major was once my rank before I transferred to UN."

"Yes, I do know about that. But enough chit-chat now and let's talk, shall we?"

"Right. Anyway, what are we here to talk about?"

"Something's happening at the portal near Sadogashima as we speak."

"Sadogashima? Is it about the portal near Hive 21?"

"Yes. There's an unknown invasion force coming out of the portal. You know, ships and landing forces. They have TSFs too, if the satellite footages were to be believed."

"An invasion force? That's interesting, but what does this have to do with me?"

"You see, there's 12 psychic energy readings that are with said invasion force."

"Psychic energy? You mean the unknowns have Espers on their side?"

"It's highly possible that they do, yes. My superiors wanted you to go to Yokohama Base and coordinate with the commanders there, as it's likely that they'll send a team to contact the unknowns."

"Alright then, but what about Idol Test Flight? Who will be in charge of them while I'm gone?"

"That's not an issue as I'll be taking over your duties for a while. You will go and contact the unknowns and try to find out the ones behind the readings. Once you find them, you'll await further orders."

"Is that all? When am I leaving?"

"As soon as possible. There's a shuttle that's ready to take you to Yokohama. You can bring some bodyguards, but that's all."

"Am I to keep my intentions a secret to the commanders?"

"That won't be necessary. They'll be informed as soon as you come in. You were chosen for this mission because it could probably aid you in your plan. Polnoye Zatmeniye, was it called?"

"Yes it is. Anyway, I'll get myself ready to leave for Yokohama. Inform the others of my temporary absence."

"I will do that. Wish you luck, Lieutenant."


And Cut! That's 1.9K words for this chapter. For some things that you don't get:

"And those two green ships with quad-barreled cannons" - AF Giga Base. Yuuko thought that they're ships 'cause they're staying in water.

"those four fast-moving hydrofoils that does strafing runs at the beach with their missiles" - AF Stigro.

They thought of the NEXTs as TSFs, hence the quote.

You know, I originally planned to pit in different AIs from ACverse to MLA (Chief and Carol Dorry, Nineball, DOVE, IBIS, and the Internecine AI to be exact) and have them fight the BETA and subjugate mankind. But then, I realized that a combined force of Pulverizers, Last Age automatons, Big Whites, Controller Agents, and many others would be too OP even for the BETA and humans alike. Believe me, they are gonna be OP.

Then I had the idea of having Leos Klein and the Raven (OC) to get transported along with Phobos to MLverse before they could even fight. But then I realized that there's a shit-ton BETA in Mars that they'll eventually get overwhelmed if they don't get Phobos to Earth's orbit ASAP (which will create a big geographical and gravitational change in the planet). The Disorder Units are gonna be a boon for the locals in the case they made it to Earth.

Then I had an idea of having a version of Takeru from ACverse to go to MLverse. He's gonna be from ACVD timeline and a genius researcher of Yuuko's level that's affiliated to the Foundation. Oh, and he's centuries old and one of the guys responsible for the creation of the Towers and the tech within it, but nobody knows about that one as he's a better manipulator and trickster than Yuuko, Omer Science Technology and Thermidor combined. I scrapped this idea, but I have some plans to integrate this idea to this fic.

I had these ideas, but the idea for this fic won out in the end. I might use the other ideas for my future fics, so PM me if you're somehow interested in using said ideas. That'll be all, folks! JaphetSkie, signing out.