I'll See You...On The Eurofront!
Day 5– "Fimbulvetr": Late Morning
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Briefing Room
The Base XO stood silently next to Lieutenant Colonel Mary, both with somber looks on their faces. This was to be expected, considering they both lost a friend and a valuable asset to the company yesterday, with Diana Liotta's death. For them, and many on this base, the next days would be extremely trying. For Adler, it was almost as if the events of Richland were repeating themselves. Yet again, a Lynx had gone solo to a BETA hive, and again, was slain, and now, the winds of a battle forged in revenge were beginning to blow. Lives were going to be lost, and that's all there was to it.
"Lynx, I'm sure you're aware that Diana Liotta was killed in action yesterday." Mary's voice was surprisingly solid and calm. Of course, she had seen Lynx under her command killed before- having served the Union since they days of the Lynx War- she saw Sara Angelic, pilot of The Blue NEXT, killed by Joshua O'Brien's original White Glint; Wynne D. Fanchon and Roy Saaland slain by Strayed during the last days of the ORCA rebellion. Not to mention she was there when Neo Nidus went rogue- taking Torus's prototype NEXT and joining ORCA- only to reportedly die on the battlefield against the League's forces- meeting his end by the might of the Answerer. However, it was notable that her and Diana were close friends. "I'm sure you may want to take the fight to the BETA directly, however, as was seen in Richland, this is not an advisable course of action. In addition, we've confirmed movement of Omer's XAF-Kushina… Based on projections we suspect it is taking aim at this base. Company Executives believe the Kushina to be a far greater threat to the Union than the nearby BETA… um, Hive."
Adler could hardly believe the Colonel's words. "So… it's time to destroy the Kushina?!" He smirked as he mumbled. "Those Omer bastards will pay for what they did to Selene…"
"Operation: Ragnarok is the official name for this mission- we're going to eliminate both the BETA and the Kushina in the same motion. However, the Kushina is the higher priority target."
"..What? GA threw that massive force at the BETA hive in Richland and yet they couldn't accomplish anything!" Adler thought. "How are we going to possibly defeat both a Hive and a main Arms Fort!?"
"As you know, the XAF-Kushina is armed with a powerful Assault Cannon. This weapon exceeds even the Sol Dios Cannons- simply put; the XAF is the most powerful Kojima Cannon in existence. As seen with the Richland data, the BETA will attempt to shoot down anything in their range- including artillery. However, they cannot shoot down Kojima—A Kojima weapon is merely an advanced Charged Particle weapon- while it remains a physical weapon, unlike the energy cannons many Interior weapons are equipped with, the way it works makes it impossible for the BETA to stop- leading to our plan… we're going to coerce the Kushina into destroying the Hive."
"Using the—what?!"
"Instead of using our drone assets, we're going to use a surprise engagement to force the XAF to fight in the vicinity of the Hive. With the presence of Laser-class BETA, they'll have no choice but to use the XAF's Assault Cannon to destroy the hive, and eliminate the BETA—based on what we've seen, the Laser-class BETA may be able to inflict damage on the XAF. It won't be much- as the Primal Armor of the XAF is thick enough to disperse energy attacks, unlike most other Primal Armor equipped weapons, but with the strain caused by the sheer number of laser-class the XAF will begin to take significant damage, forcing the use of their ultimate weapon to destroy the BETA."
"Mary, won't they just have their NEXTs engage the Laser-class before using the Assault Cannon?" Kagami spoke up.
"We assume they'll try. That's where our Lynx come into play. We need you to engage and destroy any NEXTs deployed with the Kushina. Our outlying bases have reported several of them- notably the Rank twelve, Michael and his Shatterstone, and Aspina's Magnus Formation. We also believe that Cain's Kerberos will also be present."
"That's seven NEXTs… we only have six, and Ay Pool deploying in those conditions... it'd be suicide for her- so we only really have five." Adler muttered.
"Due to the sheer number of enemies present, this will be a joint operation with GA and BFF. Although, to be technical, it's merely BFF- the Lynx we're set to receive are independents. I'm sure everyone present is familiar with Llad and his Arathor, so I don't need to explain him. The others who will be joining us are Line Ark's Victoria- NEXT: Double Heart, her operator, Sesia; BFF-Independent Lynx Lacie- NEXT: Fang, note that her Collared Rank is Twenty-five; Arisawa-Independent Lynx William- NEXT: Revenger. Also joining for this operation, and acting as Operator for the GA forces, is another name you'll be familiar with, 'Cristoph', former pilot of Seven."
"So outside of the Lynx, what other reinforcements are we expecting?"
"Long-range fire from the Risen Spirit of Motherwill—shells will be aimed at the XAF once it is within the target zone, and the Hive area once the XAF is confirmed down. With missile bombardment and the aerial Arms Fort, we expect the BETA will not target the Motherwill's artillery. Other weapons we will deploy during this operation consist of no less than three Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs."
"…I wonder how many Normals are getting deployed… How much more of a force is this compared to what marched on Richland…"
"Further details regarding the Operation—the first phase of the operation involves an ambush that forces the XAF to enter the hive territory by Ay Pool, and two of the Sol Dios Orbit weapons. The second phase of the plan begins as soon as NEXTs are deployed—all available Lynx are to engage the Omer NEXTs immediately- be wary of Laser-class BETA while doing so. You are not permitted to engage the Laser-class, however any of the other types of BETA are to be killed if they pose a threat to your NEXT. Keep them out of range when possible- remember the Omer NEXTs and the XAF are your targets, not the BETA."
"This mission is simply… insane. We're fighting that close to a BETA hive, and it's against other humans. How stupid." Ay Pool said, "I'm sure Diana would not have gone along with this plan."
"I know you don't like it, but we don't have much of a choice, Ay Pool." Mary responded.
"Cristoph wouldn't go for this plan either—that guy needs contingency plans for everything, and won't make a move unless he's sure he'll win… I wonder what lies got told to him to get him go along with this… then again, pitting his enemies against each other and letting them duke it out and mopping up the leftovers is his favorite strategy." Adler muttered. "Come to think of it, actually, it's something he might just think up."
"The XAF will likely engage the Hive anyways; considering its understood trajectory… However we will only get that one four minute window to destroy the monster or Fort Lyons will be obliterated—we do not have the Cloud of Eden to protect this base anymore, so this really is our only chance. Now moving on, regarding the enemy NEXTs. You've all seen Shatterstone and Kerberos in your training simulations. It's unlikely that they'll be modified in anyway."
"Oh look, Kerberos, that piece of junk." Adler laughed as what he perceived to be a sub-par NEXT was displayed on a screen behind Mary and the XO. "I'll kill that 'Cain' and that will be that—even looking at that piece of trash makes me sick… that design will NEVER be useful for anything."
"The new threat is Aspina's Magnus formation. To explain this group- it's five enemy NEXTs- all of them are Aspina's production model NEXT, Type-Magnus. As you should be aware, Aspina's X-Sobrero was deemed a failure due to major stability issues, however, the ultralight leg unit when combined with Omer's Type-Lahire proved incredibly useful… We do not have all of the details regarding enemy load out, but none of them should be heavily armed, as Type-Magnus has weight load issues. Two of them are confirmed to use Lethaldose Assault cannons, rendering them a special threat to the mission- they also use XMG-A030 light machine guns and 07-Moonlight energy blades. Be wary of this- while the Kushina is present, they can fire that Assault Cannon at full power every ten seconds. The other three Magnus craft… we really don't know anything about. I'm sorry, but you'll have to discern their threat levels out on the battlefield—luckily the Type-Magnus's greatest strength, its Aerial Combat prowess, I s nullified by the presence of Laser-class BETA."
"Type-Magnus. I hate those things." Adler said, "They're unstable, worthless pieces of junk."
"You hate anything Omer, Adler." Kagami said, making a silly face. "Except for Zephiris."
"Well, yeah. I hate them, and all they stand for." Adler responded. "Omer can go to hell… I'm looking forward to dropping that Arms Fort right into the BETA. They can all be eaten..!"
"Cut the chatter over there, there's still more for me to explain." Mary said harshly. "Regarding the arrival of GA forces—Llad and Victoria are to be arriving here at Lyons this evening, and will be present in the early phases of the operation, while Lacie and William will enter the battlefield with VOB units as soon as the later phases of the operation are set to begin… Cristoph will also arrive with Llad tonight."
"So we'll get to meet up with Llad. Good to hear." Adler said. "And VOB entry with BETA present, again? Isn't that what got May Greenfield killed?"
"Regarding allied NEXTs. Arathor is one you're already familiar with- nothing has changed regarding its design, and it remains as a higher-midweight NEXT, and retains its balanced load out utilizing a blade, Gatling Cannon, missile launcher and an Ogoto, as well as AS missiles. As far as Victoria goes, Double Heart is a bipedal light model NEXT specifically designed for her by Abe Marshe; entirely consisting of unique parts save for her weaponry. It's currently equipped with twin Motorcobra machine guns and a plasma cannon- and Assault Armor. William's Revenger is a special model mid-weight NEXT designed by Abe Marshe—however only the Core and Head units are specialty parts. It's equipped with a Gatling cannon and the 063ANAR Assault Rifle, as well as two Wheeling03 Missile launchers, likewise, it's equipped with Assault Armor. Lacie's Fang is a mid-weight NEXT armed with a Laser rifle and a 063ANAR and twin Saline spread missile launchers- however, she may have equipped 02-Dragonslayer laser blades as hangar weapons… Do account for your allies in determining your actions out on the battlefield- this is a large scale battle, on scale with GA's engagement against Omer in the former Sing colony previous to the ORCA uprising."
"..Everyone brings up that fight whenever there's this many troops getting deployed. Yes, it was the largest fight since the Lynx war, but… people seem to forget that Omer won that battle, dammit."
"Thanks to you and Strayed, Adler, and the other Omer Lynx— you guys just outnumbered GA's forces. Strayed disabled that Great Wall, and you killed 'Warcar', if I remember right. Iakchos met his end there at the hand of Dario Empio, and, several other Lynx died in that brawl, with GA suffering severe losses throughout…" Kagami said, quickly irritating Adler.
"Do not speak of my past, Ya-shi-ro!"
"You're the one who had to mention the fact that Omer won the battle for Sing."
"And you know that you should never bring up my past..!"
"I'm saying you're the one who brought it up..!"
"Are you looking for a fight?"
"You two! Be quiet~! The briefing is not over. If you have any fights, feel free to settle it on the battlefield—the training areas are open for mock combat, but you do have to observe the fact that this is the eve of a major operation, and the official briefing is not over." Mary snapped at the two Lynx. "Work out your differences afterwards—and do work them out- we need you to work together tomorrow. Now back to the matters at hand. As I said, you will be working with Torus's Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs. Note the capabilities of the Sol Dios Orbit are completely unlike any other Land Crab variant; the main weapons of the Sol Dios Orbit, the six Sol Dios cannons, act as autonomous drones. Obviously, being Sol Dios weapons, they are merely Kojima Cannons- however, as you should be aware, they are equipped with various functions including NEXT-level Quick Boost and an Assault Armor system. The cannons will continue to operate once released, even if their associated Land Crab is destroyed, so in an effort to protect our weaponry, protect the cannons over the actual Arms Fort. During the operation, the callsigns 'Odin', 'Thor' and 'Baldr' refer to the Sol Dios weapons. Protecting these Land Crabs is high priority- do not allow the BETA to reach them, as the Sol Dios Orbit has very minimal point defenses outside of the Sol Dios cannons, consisting only of small VLS missile launching systems- but remember, you are not to fire on the Laser-class. We suspect that Omer's NEXTs will also make the Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs a priority target- do not allow them to engage our Arms Fort Units."
"She wasn't joking about the Sol Dios Orbit being deployed for the destruction of that Hive, but… with the Laser-class, won't the BETA just shoot down the Sol Dios cannons anyways…?"
"As we cannot allow the Sol Dios weapons to be shot down, the Land Crabs will not, under any circumstances, enter a range of Thirty-Six Kilometers of the Hive. While we are currently forbidding the direct targeting of Laser-class BETA, any lasers that do target the Sol Dios weapons are open game, having left the buffer zone around the hive; they are no longer considered an asset to the mission."
"What if the Kushina targets the Sol Dios with its Assault cannon?" Lunaterisa asked. "If they're not getting close to the hive, the Kushina may target them."
"Then engage and destroy the Kushina as planned- we will attempt to use the remaining Sol Dios Orbit weapons to destroy the hive ourselves afterward."
"So, the Kushina really is the priority target, not the inhuman BETA…" Lunaterisa muttered looking downward.
"Regarding the Kushina itself, as you are aware, the Kushina possesses a huge threat with its missile barrage capabilities and its ELX chain railguns- I do not need to go over its offense any further, however, we have discovered what may be a weakness in the Arms Fort's design." A large graphic depicting the XAF-Kushina was displayed on the screen behind Mary. Several areas turned red, signifying their importance as targets. "Similar to the Answerer, the Kushina flies using Kojima power to keep itself afloat- requiring a high output from its rectification units- if you can successfully destroy these units, at the very least, you'll permanently destroy its Primal Armor capabilities, and ground the unit, if not outright destroy it. The central Rectifiers are the primary targets- they control the massive PA field. If disabled, both the destructive PA field and the Arms Fort's Assault Cannon will be rendered useless. Without the protection from the AF's main PA field, its secondary rectifiers will try to carry the load- the ones on the head unit protect the craft from ranged damage, while the ones on the legs are there to provide movement capabilities. In the event that the Kushina cannot be completely destroyed, aim for the legs- crippling the craft will put it in the range of the BETA- in this scenario, it will be considered a victory, and all allied units are to immediately retreat from the field of battle- destroying the Hive comes second."
"What a sadistic strategy… the objective is merely to drop the XAF into the swarm…" Lunaterisa said, still clearly unhappy with the mission. "And let the BETA kill the Omer troops."
"Did Adler think of this one?" Kagami said, her arms crossed, with a sour look on her face.
"No, but I do like the sound of that plan. Omer will get what they deserve." Adler laughed.
"Shut it, Adler." Kagami responded swiftly. "This plan is just…"
"Do I have to repeat myself, Kagami, Adler?" Mary said. "Settle this on your down time after this briefing. However, I will answer your little question, no, Adler did not come up with the plan for Operation Ragnarok- the plan, to simultaneously engage the BETA and Omer, was first drafted by the Interior Head brass, and the final revisions were made after the GA deal was struck- the actual strategy was thought up by Cristoph. I know you're unhappy with it— and I will admit, it's not necessarily the best plan, but it's the only one we have- we simply cannot allow the XAF to approach Lyons- if that Arms Fort gets within effective range to fire its Assault Cannon on this base, we'll all be dead."
"Fine, Mary. I'll settle it." Adler said, "Kagami, as soon as this briefing is over..! I'll kick your ass and we'll be done with this."
"That sounds like a proper challenge-!" Lunaterisa said, her somber look turning to a smile, "This'll be fun to watch."
"…Adler will just run away the whole time." Kagami said, "It won't solve anything, and it won't be any fun to watch."
"Oh, I disagree, Kagami. I think he might just beat you." Aerilynn said with a slight chuckle.
"Ooh..! I swear it..! That coward…! He set you two up for this, didn't he?!" Kagami said, turning red.
"Settle down, Lynx, there's plenty more of this briefing to cover." Mary said. "Now, on to unit designations- we're using non-standard tactics, and operating NEXTs as a single formation, with the exception of Vero Nork, who cannot safely enter the thirty-six kilometer danger zone surrounding the hive… Adler- NEXT: Zephiris-F, Strike Vanguard One. Llad- NEXT: Arathor, Strike Vanguard Two. Kagami- NEXT: Brunnhilde, Gun Sweeper. Lunaterisa- NEXT: Freyja, Rush Guard. Victoria- NEXT: Double Heart, Gun Interceptor One. Aerilynn- NEXT: Hrist, Impact Guard. Lacie- NEXT: Fang, Gun Interceptor Two. Miranias- NEXT: Rydalith, Blast Guard One. William- NEXT: Revenger, Blast Guard Two… while she's not going to be entering the main combat area, Ay Pool- NEXT: Vero Nork, Blast Guard Three."
"Again with those roles being assigned to NEXTs… this really is Richland all over again…" Adler said.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Selene said, "I… don't want to see any of our friends die out there."
"It's the same for me… this is really seeming to be Richland again… Although, now's our chance to settle the score with Omer."
"…But first you've got to settle the score with Kagami." Aerilynn said, overhearing what Adler had just said.
"Settle down, Lynx. There is still a lot more to this briefing. Now moving on, regarding the diversionary tactics we will be employing to get the Kushina to enter the Hive area…"
Afternoon
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Training Field
"Kagami… It's time to settle this." Adler said, Zephiris-F slashing its moonlight blade once to signify that the match was good to start. JIVES had already been initiated- unlike Arisawa's training field, almost all of the Interior's training combat trials utilized it.
"Adler..! I won't lose to you!" She exclaimed as both NEXTs took off at high speed towards each other, flying over the trees that lined the battlefield. Brunnhilde fired a set of AS missiles at Zephiris, and started firing its twin Gatling guns, but was mere inches behind Zephiris with each shot. Zephiris opened fire with its PA-Suppression gun, swiftly shooting down the AS missiles, but Brunnhilde countered with a quick-boost, eluding the barrage of PA-destroying Kojima bullets.
"Jeez, she's fast." Adler said, taking note of the sheer speed that Brunnhilde possessed. "Zephiris is having a hard time even reaching her..! I mean, Zefi is faster, but Brunnhilde is fast..!"
"Kagami is using a Type-Sione, Adler." Selene noted, "And we haven't done any real damage—keep your eyes open and your thoughts on the fight, Adler."
"I know, Selene, it's just…!" Adler said, quickly dodging to the right, but not quick enough to evade a barrage of bullets and missiles fired from Brunnhilde, but Kagami then made a notable mistake: touching down for a moment. Adler seized this opportunity immediately, slashing at Kagami's NEXT with deft precision- a direct hit confirmed. "We nailed her..!"
"Lucky hit, coward..!" Kagami exclaimed, firing a quick boost to spin Brunnhilde around, opening up a barrage into Zephiris which had itself landed, sliding over a hill to avoid the inevitable attack and recover energy in the same motion, but Adler had reacted too late, taking Kagami's offense directly.
"Adler!" Selene exclaimed, "It may be considered small arms fire, but we still have virtually no defenses! Kagami will rip us to shreds with those Gatlings if she keeps her bead..!"
"I know, but Zefi is out of energy..!"
"I realize that, but we do the EN recovery advantage—use Zefi's Overed Boost—although she's stripped our Primal Armor!" Selene stated, her emotions driving her voice.
"Selene, are you alright?" Adler asked, finally achieving enough EN to evade the barrage of Gatling rounds and landing a direct hit on Brunnhilde's legs. "I… I've never seen you lose your cool like this…"
"Yes, although, I'm sorry, Adler. I'm not entirely focused. Ragnarok is worrying me." Selene said, closing her eyes briefly as Zephiris bounced away from Brunnhilde.
"Its got even you worried…" Adler said, using Zephiris's PA suppression gun to shoot down a barrage of missiles. "Now I'm worried."
"Of course, we're up against BETA and Omer…" Selene said as Adler spun Zephiris around to face Brunnhilde. "Time to end this."
"…Adler, think about that move-!" Selene said, looking over the array of data displayed to her. "We can only use our 07-Moonlight twice before we're out of Energy. We engage here, and we're gone, unless we score a direct hit…"
"So, what are you suggesting we do?...Ah!" Adler said, floating Zephiris up into the air to match Brunnhilde, and fired a series of quick boosts, feigning towards Kagami, but quickly away from her and forward, dashing past her at extreme speed. Once past her, Adler activated Zephiris's Overed boost and slid out of visual range of Kagami's NEXT.
"He… Ran away." Kagami muttered, looking at her Energy gauge and cutting Brunnhilde's boosters, and landing. "That's good. I'm… even with the XGN-Sione, out of Energy…"
Adler breathed heavily, turning Zephiris around. "No pursuit yet… we can recover."
"She's likely giving pursuit… keep your eyes on your radar…" Selene said. "I don't see her yet—wait, there! She's low to the ground..! To our left!"
"Found you!" Adler said, dodging away from a barrage of bullets, and closing in on Brunnhilde, which drifted, just narrowly evading the edge of Zephiris's blade, responding to Zephiris's quick turn with a quick boost, sliding amongst the trees and mountains for cover.
"I can't let you win, dammit, Adler!" Kagami yelled, "For all the times you've been so damn rude to me..!" Brunnhilde's gatling guns wound up again, a barrage of bullets flew straight into Zephiris, which took them in stride, it's own responding in kind- and in a flash, neither NEXT had any Primal Armor active- stripped away by the sheer amount of bullets fired.
"Hey, it's just my nature to be a rude, self-serving jerkass, and you're just going to have to accept that!" Adler shouted, "And I won't lose!" Zephiris fired its Quick boosts, the AOB emitting a brilliant blue flash as it Second-staged, rotating to keep Zephiris's momentum as the purple plasma of its blade slammed into Brunnhilde, sparks flying away from the red NEXT as Zephiris flew past. It wasn't a direct hit, but it was certainly more than enough to bring the match to a close.
TRIAL MATCH FINISHED
WIN: Zephiris-F 2292/31148
LOSE: Brunnhilde 0/41355
"I LOST?!" Kagami exclaimed. "To that coward!?"
"You may think him a coward, but you can't deny his skill, Kagami." A male voice called out, and almost immediately, the two NEXTs spun around to face another- a Black and red NEXT floating over the battlefield next to a White, Gold and Red NEXT that had a rounded, but sleek look to it.
"Llad!?" Kagami exclaimed, recognizing Llad's NEXT, Arathor. "You're here already?"
"Yep. Long time, no see, Kagami—Having fun with Adler I see." Llad responded.
"That was a brilliant match- it was amazing to watch." A female voice- the Lynx of the other NEXT said.
"Victoria." Adler said, noting the other NEXT's pilot. "How are things for you?"
"Good—well, I've got to get to the Base- Double Heart is kind of fickle, and I need the mechanics to take extra care of her—I took a laser blast from that Hive on the way here."
"You flew that close to the Hive in cruising mode? Are you crazy?"
"It wasn't that close. It looked like the BETA were a good distance from the Hive, but it didn't look like they were heading to anywhere notable." Another woman said.
"Sesia…" Adler said, recognizing Victoria's Operator. "So the BETA were on the move?"
"Yes, and that's how Victoria and Llad came under fire by the laser-class."
"How many?"
"It wasn't a whole lot of lasers. I think we were just on the edge of their targeting range—outside the 36 km danger zone." Sesia explained. "It's only a minor repair, and Llad managed to evade the rounds headed for him… I haven't seen you fight until now, Adler, save for when you killed Sli-."
"Do not say it, Sesia." Kagami said, "This jerkass will humiliate you and make you lose your meals for a week if you mention his past."
"Lose your meals for a week?" Llad asked. "What did you do, Kagami?"
"Made a bet with Luna… and Aerilynn… and Mira…"
Almost everyone present, save for Selene broke out in laughter at Kagami's misfortune.
"Even so, it was a beautiful match, Adler, Kagami." Victoria said, "I think even my father would've been impressed."
"Impressing Berlioz?" Llad said, "Now that may be going too far."
"No. I'm quite serious. Father may have only looked upon Anatolia's Raven as an equal during the Lynx war, but the actions of many Lynx impressed him- Anje's exploits with her blade, Sumika's deftness with her railcannon, and her uncanny ability to evade missiles… Joshua's ability to control speed. The way Roadie could control his NEXT without much AMS. Hell, even I impressed him at times, although it seemed like I'd never reach him, and he made that clear."
"Sounds like he was even more of a jerk than me." Adler said, "You're his adopted daughter- someone he cares about deeply—putting you down seems like…"
"No. I think I know why he did that. He may have trained me so I could use my born gifts, but I think, he didn't want me to become a Lynx. He knew the dangers… and wanted me to give up, or become outright better than even him. It was his death at the Battle of Old Peace City that made me realize that."
"Hey, Victoria, I have a question." Adler said, "Why did you join Line Ark?"
"I believe in their ideals- the League will be the end of this world. The Cradles and other measures would fail us eventually—our only way to survive is to return our path to the Stars, but first, we need to regain control of our own lives."
"But Line Ark was where Anatolia's Raven…"
"Despite what you may think, I never held any grudge against that man. He was a soldier, just doing his job. My Father thought the same—I've seen the recordings from the Battle of Old Peace City, in fact, my father actually lamented in his final moments that circumstances were the way they were. Him and Anatolia's Raven were very much alike, and so was Strayed- all people I look up to."
"Hmm… if Berlioz, the Original NEXT pilot himself would be impressed by that fight…" Adler said, watching Llad, Kagami, and Victoria Overed Boost away.
"Don't let it go to your head, Adler… I don't want you to get over confident and die… I don't want us to die." Selene said. "Even Berlioz fell—one day, Strayed may meet his end too."
Evening
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— NEXT Hangar
"Hey Llad." Adler said, waving at the brown-haired man standing by Arathor, and swiftly turning back to help Selene climb out of Zephiris-F.
"Hey, Adler. Finally getting here? You took way longer than expected." Llad responded quickly turning to face the two Lynx. "That was a pretty impressive fight between you and Kagami. I haven't gotten a chance to see a fight like that in a long time. Nice knife-edge victory there, too."
"That's because you're usually part of them."
"Ain't that the truth."
"…you ready for tomorrow?"
"Can't say I am, it's going to be one intense battle. Ten NEXTs on our side, but Omer, they have the Kushina and Seven of theirs—not to mention the BETA. Richland was enough, but here we've got human enemies too."
"It's Omer. We'll wipe 'em out."
"You certain—I'm not doubting your skill, but it's going to be such a huge battle—you think you can handle it?"
"You know full well I hate Omer, and that I won't die until I've seen them dismantled. They used me like a pawn, and they put Selene through unspeakable things— you remember the way she was when you first met her?"
"Yeah. I also know that she's always been the way she is now- you don't have to explain… Hey, you know that Arisawa development guy? The one you gave that TSF to?"
"Tadashiro? What of him?"
"Yeah, that was his name, I think— anyways, he told me to give you something, said 'It's rightfully yours'. Probably has something to do with that TSF."
"Oh, it's not the Eight-hundred thousand COAM he owes me?"
"He did mention that- he wants to pay you in person, but he insisted that you take a look at this thing," Llad said, holding a small device- a type of computer drive, "before you fight the XAF— of course, it's obviously nothing tactical, or else he'd have made all of the Lynx look at it before tomorrow."
"Well, I suppose I'll take a look— I'm going to be going back to my room, I get the feeling I'm going to need my rest for tomorrow."
"Agree with you there. Tomorrow seems like it's going to be hell. We might be working with ten NEXTs and three Sol Dios Orbits, but who knows how things will play out— I've got to overlook some changes being made to Arathor, so I won't be turning in for a while."
"Alright Llad."
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters
"Alright, Tadashiro, I'll play your game— Let's get this thing hooked up. As far as I can tell, it's just another little recording or something like that, so I'll look at it, like you said, before Ragnarok." Adler said, connecting the drive to the small computer that sat on Adler's desk.
"Greetings, Adler. If you're actually watching this before you rush off to destroy the Kushina, I'm impressed, because I don't think you'd do anything sensible without abhorrent amounts of payment being required." Tadashiro's voice was direct. "Now, I will tell you that this information doesn't pertain to anything tactical, as times have changed, but this is black box information gathered from 'your' TSF, or rather Royal Guard Captain Yoshiomaru Hirayama's Type-00R. This is only a small excerpt from the deployments of that particular TSF, notably occurring on December 25, 2001. From what I could observe, a major battle between human forces and BETA occurred on that day- an attack, much like our march on Richland, made against a BETA hive. What makes this notable, and what will concern you, is the deployment of a Anti-Hive weapon developed by Alternative IV. As you are aware, Alternative IV is responsible for the XM3, and the only Zero-Zero unit ever completed. However from this excerpt, it could be determined that Alternative IV's objective was super weapon creation- a transmission from a member of Yoshiomaru's squadron reveals that other Alternative IV weapons may be in existence, and notably the one that may concern you is most definitely one such super weapon. I trust that you have linked this information the retinal projection of your fortified suit, as this will allow you to see and hear everything that Yoshiomaru saw and heard through his TSF on that day, most notably the then-new anti-hive weapon. As a last note before the actual recordings begin to play, I have reason to believe that this weapon is in fact, something controlled by the Zero-Zero Unit, as its deployment matches the timeframe of the Zero-Zero's existence."
"…What does a weapon from 2001 have to do with me…?" Adler muttered, "I may have found that TSF, but I don't really care what kind of weapons humans used to beat the BETA back then. We have Arms Forts and NEXTs now— the days of TSFs are long gone… of course, he did mention that there have been repeated attempts at rebuilding a Zero-Zero unit..." Adler said, pressing a switch on his the forearm of his Fortified suit, activating the connection to the retinal projection devices.
December 25, 2001
Sadogashima Hive
The sky was a deep gray, like a scene out of a depiction of the end of the world. A misty steel cloud hung over the island battlefield, which lie bloody with countless BETA corpses, with wreckage of destroyed TSFs mingled in. Lasers formed a curtain of light as artillery shells rained down on the battlefield. Fires tattered the landscape as molten shrapnel rained from the heavy metal clouds.
"This is Captain Yoshiomaru to all Mirage Squadron units, fall back to point Foxtrot. We need to assist the American TSA formation in Echo unit. Those A-10s may have the firepower to crush the Tank-class, but they've got Forts incoming. Let's show them how we Japanese handle the BETA."
"…Captain, you've sure changed since your stay overseas. Have the Americans rubbed off on you?" A woman in a yellow fortified suit asked.
"Getting stationed to train with the F-35 and F-16 pilots at Luke only left me with two things, firstly, Arizona is the very definition of 'Hell on Earth'— it was Forty-Eight degrees on the first damn day. Secondly, not all of the Americans are honorless cowards, although ironically, it was a fuels specialist who got that notion hammered into me, not one of their Eishi. It wasn't a bad thing being there except for the fact that that desert state was so damn hot, I swore I was going to die. It does feel really good to be back in control of a Type-00R though. The F-35 is a great machine, but it's absolutely nothing compared to the Takemikazuchi."
"They still only deployed a handful of Eishi for this operation though… and mostly just the Marines and the A-10s and F-18s. They didn't send their F-22 Raptors in what may just be the most important battle in history. Hell, they didn't even send F-35s." The woman responded. "Although, then again, I heard the first man to test Alternative IV's previous weapon was an American."
The TSFs ran along the ground gunning down various BETA as they ran towards a point displayed on the Eishi's HUD. In the distance, large TSFs armed with massive Gatling cannons on their shoulders could be seen, fending off a large amount of BETA, mostly Tank and Grappler-class, as the corpses of the Heavy Laser class stained the ground. "Do you speak of the Kamchatka incident? That test pilot killing three thousand BETA in his first actual deployment, using that prototype long-range cannon?... Yeah, I heard that guy was American, one of the Raptor test pilots… although that particular case just goes to show you just how powerful Alternative IV's weapons are."
"Speaking of Alternative IV, remember the briefing? Isn't some kind of Autonomous Drone weapon supposed to be showing up?"
"…Yeah, Michiyo-chan. It was called 'XG-70b, Susanoo'… Callsign A-02— we've got to stay away from it..! It's reportedly highly dangerous, so only the special Task Force assigned to Alternative IV can approach it- and its main weapon is said to be as indiscriminant as a Nuke or G-Bomb."
"…Yoshiomaru-kun! You're not supposed to call me Michiyo-chan out here!"
"It doesn't matter, Michiyo. Everyone who knows us.."
"Yoshiomaru!"
"What? Are you blushing, Michiyo?" Another woman in a white, black and gray Fortified suit said. "You know you and Yoshiomaru make a great couple."
"Kumiko!" Michiyo shouted. "Don't say those things out here on the battlefield!"
"…Attention Imperial Royal Guards, this is American Marine Squadron Red Devils—part of Task Force 108, assigned to the UN Army, we overheard your transmission earlier. Coming to assist with the Fort Class? Cancel that- we do need assistance, but we've got the forts covered- our F-18F Super Hornets can handle that. Our problem stems from the new Heavy Laser class BETA that just surfaced along with the others."
"There's Heavy Laser class here after— wait, that massive wave of BETA that just wiped out the Orbital divers?"
"Affirmitive, Royal Guards."
"This is Captain Yoshiomaru to American pilots, we hear you. Now redirecting Mirage squadron to engage the Heavy Lasers."
"This is Warwolf 3, Warwolf 1, Colonel Bishop is down! His TSF just took direct fire from a Heavy Laser!" An American Eishi called out. "Razor formation is also annihilated. The Heavy Lasers are ripping the forward group apart…!"
"This is Mirage 6. I've got a bead on the Heavy Laser that just fired on the Warwolf squadron—! Eat Depleted Uranium, you bastards!" A gray Takemikazuchi fired a large round from one of its four assault cannons, impacting the red BETA in the eye, causing it to burst open in a wall of flames and blood. "Heavy laser down, but I've got a visual on several others."
"Mirage 7, support Mirage 6!" Yoshiomaru called out. "Kumiko has incoming, at least twelve Grappler-class."
"Royal Guards, we appreciate the assistance." The American commander, an Eishi piloting one of the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs said, "Our Thunderbolts can move up thanks to your arrival."
"There is no issue, Americans, just don't turn tail and run." Michiyo said in response. "Of course, from what I hear, you A-10 pilots..!"
"It's not an issue, we're the US Marines, first into the fight, and last to leave." The American commander responded. "Hey ladies, keep the pressure up on these BETA! We've got the Japanese here now! And it's them Royal Guards in their Takemikazuchis! Don't get out done, or you're all going to be running laps all day when we get back to the States!"
"Damn, this became a huge mess..! Everything seemed to be going so well until that wave of BETA appeared out of nowhere—! It's not even that four hour marker yet!" Michiyo said, her yellow and pink colored Takemikazuchi cleaving a Grappler-class BETA in two. "And we have no artillery backup! At least the majority of the BETA are headed away from our location."
A woman with long purple hair appeared on the screen, as Yoshiomaru cut through a Heavy Laser class that, for some reason had turned away from the TSFs. "Attention all forces, it's time for our new weapon to engage. We're sending the estimated killzone for the XG-70's charged particle cannon now..! Do not be within its range, or you will be killed. A-02 is entering the battlefield now- you have five minutes to get out of the killzone."
"That woman… that must be the infamous Professor Kouzuki from Alternative IV. A-02? It's time then..!" Yoshiomaru said, turning his TSF to the east to shoot at the exposed back of a Destroyer-class BETA. "The new Alternative IV weapon..." He then quickly dashed towards a Heavy Laser Class, and slashed it with his Melee Halberd, cutting its body in two in one slice only to see another fire- directly at Michiyo's Takemikazuchi.
"AAH!" Michiyo screamed, as her Takemikazuchi was engulfed in flames as the massive beam from the firing Heavy Laser cut through it.
"MICHIYO!" Yoshiomaru screamed as he watched his squadmate die in front of him. "YOU BETA BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" He yelled, firing rounds from his Assault cannon, killing the Heavy Laser class with accurate shots to its eye. "Dammit! Michiyo!" He cried out, firing recklessly at the BETA. Shells from his cannons, however, struck dangerously close to the American forces under the UN.
A TSF flew past his vision, firing four Assault cannons at a group of BETA, "Get a hold of yourself, Royal Guard!" An American said, his F-18 pointing its Assault cannon at his Takemikazuchi. "Don't become a problem for us, or the rest of Echo unit, or we'll have to put you down, and we don't want to have to do that—I'm sure your fallen squadmate wouldn't want you to be killed like this either."
"This is Mirage Leader to American pilots…" Yoshiomaru activated a stimulant injection, "My mistake. Mirage Unit backing off- we're engaging a separate group of BETA."
"Mirage 3 to Mirage 1. A-02 is almost in position…! The heavy laser class are—!"
Yoshiomaru turned his TSF hard, taking sight of a massive object in the distance. Lasers flashed, but were redirected harmlessly away from the craft. Sheathed in thick armor, it was like a depiction of a god entering a battlefield. It was completely gray, and vaguely humanoid in its design, with a red head unit shaped as an 'X', and its legs backswept, along with a large tail. Immediately recognizable, it was something that Adler couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing, as he watched the recording, promptly pausing it. "The XAF-Kushina?! It couldn't be—! This is from 2001! There's no way mankind already had an Arms Fort, let alone a monstrosity like the XAF!" He exclaimed, resuming the recordings.
"..! That's Alternative IV's new weapon?!" Yoshiomaru exclaimed at the sight of the massive flying fortress, turning his and his TSF's eyes to the Hive, as a brilliant beam of light shot out from the XG-70, and slammed into the Hive, sending BETA flying hundreds of meters into the air on a shockwave before a massive explosion engulfed the hive.
"Ok, marines, I think we just got outdone by the Japanese." The American commander said. "I take the thing about running laps forever back. That thing may just win this war."
"Mirage 6 to Mirage 1, are my eyes playing tricks on me, or did that just happen?"
"…Michiyo, did you see it? We may finally be able to win this war…" Yoshiomaru said, looking away from the massive column of smoke and debris that was formerly the structure of a BETA hive and back at the charred remains of Mirage 2's ruined TSF. "Mirage 6, yes, that just happened…! Let's get on clean up duty. There's still plenty more targets to kill, and it's still a while before A-02 can fire that cannon again..!" Yoshiomaru said, turning his TSF towards an advancing group of BETA. "Well, Alternative IV… you've given us humanity's hammer. Let's achieve a victory…! For Michiyo's sake…! Mirage squadron! Engage the survivors at once!"
Nighttime
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters
Adler looked around his room after the recording had terminated itself. He simply couldn't believe what he just watched. He had no doubt that it had occurred- that there was indeed some kind of super weapon deployed to Sadogashima back then, but at the same time, what he saw simply was too much. The XG-70 Susanoo it was called, yet, there was no mistaking its shape, its form, and that massive particle weapon- it was an Arms Fort, and particularly the XAF-Kushina. "If the Kushina is a relic from 2001, why the hell would Omer make it their Main Arms Fort?! We should have… no, that thing sent the beams of Heavy Laser Class away from it like they were nothing… That Charged Particle weapon… it obliterated the Hive in a single shot— yet, its white-blue coloration, there's no way it was using Kojima technology… augh! Why the hell would you show me this, Tadashiro!?" Adler exclaimed. "Dammit…!"
"Adler..!" Selene called out, knocking on Adler's door. "Are you alright..!? Can I come in?"
"…Selene?! Yeah. I'm alright—yeah, the door's not locked."
Selene walked into the room, dressed in a white gown, a slight frown on her face. "Adler… you seem… disturbed."
"It's nothing… It's just something seems wrong."
"What is it?"
"Something that Tadashiro had me observe."
"Anything involving that man gets you upset for some reason. Is that just because he's as… arrogant as you are?"
"Maybe. But this is different. I don't get why he's having me see this..!"
"See what?"
"He decoded the information from part of that…TSF's… data."
"So is it something about the BETA? Does it concern tomorrow?"
"No. Not exactly—it's something humankind used in 2001."
"So it's a human weapon that's got you on edge? It's old, so even if it were still around you, Zefi and I could take it down." Selene said, placing her hand on Adler's shoulder. "I meant it when I said you can't let your victory against Kagami go to your head, but if what Victoria said is true, you'd be up there with the Originals."
"My AMS compatibility is still near zero without you…! I'm nothing without you."
"But, you have me, so you're not… well, tell me about this thing."
"It was called the XG-70 'Susanoo'… it could destroy a Hive in as single shot with a massive weapon in its core… but it's more than that. It was an Arms Fort… the XAF!"
Selene didn't respond. Adler noted the silence and picked his head up to look at Selene. His eyes widened as he looked at her, her eyes seemed to lack any reflection… she opened her mouth slowly. "Susanoo… XG-70…? …The Storm God… I must awaken the Storm God." She quickly closed her eyes and shook her head, her blonde hair whipping around, blinding Adler in a sea of yellow. "Huh? Oh, that doesn't mean anything, Adler. Even if they had such a weapon back then, it's not like it could match up to a NEXT. And if the XAF is indeed from 2001, then that makes tomorrow slightly easier."
"Selene..!?" Adler said, "Just what's wrong with you?"
"Huh?" Selene said, slightly puzzled, "There's nothing wrong with me."
"You just said that line again, 'I must awaken the Storm God.' The same damn thing you said back when I found you in that lab in Aspina—and said every day for two weeks."
"I did?"
"Yes, right after I mentioned the XG-70."
"That's… strange. I don't remember saying that. I remember slightly dozing off… I'm kinda tired, Adler."
"Oh. Well… Perhaps we should get to bed. Tomorrow will be hell. Century old weapon or no." Adler said, "But we'll win. Tomorrow we crush Omer. Tomorrow, we take our vengeance!"
Selene turned and hugged Adler. "You're right… I just hope we don't lose anyone important to us… Kagami, Luna, Aeri, Llad, Mira..! They're all our friends—they mean a lot to us, don't they, Adler?"
"Yeah. I suppose, although…"
"I'm the only one in this world you care about, right..?" Selene shook her head. "I know, but, you've got other friends too. Perhaps you should care about them too."
"I'll try for your sake, Selene." Adler stood up with Selene, and both walked out of the room, and towards Selene's room. "I won't let any of them die… I won't let Omer or the BETA take anyone important to us—and I'll crush our enemies! Every last one of them!"
Author's Note: Ahem. Ragnarok cometh, what a crazy plan. Regarding F-35s- the way Capt. Isumi said it, the F-35 was already around before Alternative instead of coming out in 201X like the real JSF. Although, the F-35 was called the "Peregrine" in Alternative itself. (Perhaps F-35B, F-35C, F-35IR (Assumedly, the F-35's variants (Marines (B- VTOL (What that'd be for ML?), Navy (C-Carrier), Israeli (IR- INFRARED-FIND-THE-RAPTORS-SENSORS) would exist in Muv Luv too!) = Lightning II; F-35A = Peregrine..?) And yes, Americans in the UN, who'da thunk. LF Reviews! I love the feed back!