Gundam SEED: Different Reality
by DreamersLTD
If you can dream, then anything is possible. – DreamersLTD Motto
Disclaimer: Same as before...
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"It's the flagship of Commander Andrew Waltfeld." Murrue explained.
Natarle shook her head. "I've never heard of him."
"Oh, yes you have." Murrue then told her, "Only you may know him as 'The Desert Tiger'."
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(Presently)
The Archangel had sat down in the desert soil right after the ZAFT forces withdrew. The ATVs that arrived during the attack were parked nearby. In between the tiny vehicles and the ship stood the three MS; the Strike II, the Hyperion, and the Zeo Astray. From the bridge, the crew could see the assortment of men step out from their ATVs. It was a diverse group, with members ranging from their teens to adults. By their attire of desert garbs and some military gear, it was clear that they didn't belong to any regular army. In fact, they looked more like freedom fighters.
"Do you think they're friendly?" Natarle questioned.
"It's hard to tell, but they did come to our aid." Murrue answered as she left the bridge, "I'll at least try to speak with them. They may end up as a great help to us." With that she stepped onto the elevator. Before the door closed, she added, "And besides, we need to find out what their intentions are." Then the doors closed and she headed down.
On the deck, Honomura waited with a number of other crewmen. Each checked their sidearms in the event they were needed. Murrue arrived then and went to the hatch.
"Ready?" she asked, to which Honomura nodded. She then pressed the switch and she and Honomura walked out while the other crewman remained hidden with their weapons at the ready.
She looked to the group to see one step forward. He was an older bearded man with a scar along his cheek. She entertained the thought that he was the group's leader.
"I'm Murrue Ramius of the Earth Alliance OMNI Enforcer's 8th Fleet." She said, "We'd like to thank you for your assistance."
"The 8th Fleet, you say?" a young man laughed, "We heard that the fleet was annihilated."
Murrue glared at him, as did the leader. "Quiet, Ahmed." He then turned back to Murrue. "No thanks are needed as we didn't come to fight for your sake."
"So who are you?" Murrue asked.
"We call ourselves Desert Dawn. My name is Sahib Ashman."
"I take it then that you're a resistance group?" Honomura asked.
Sahib chuckled. "We prefer the term, 'Freedom Fighters'. Not that I'd expect people in a top secret warship to know."
Both Murrue and Honomura were surprised. How could a person like Sahib know who they were?
"So what else do you know about us?"
"I know your ship is the new Archangel-class and that you came to Earth while escaping the Le Creuset Team." Sahib told them and then he pointed to the mobile suit. "And that is the GAT-X105-II, the one in the middle is the CAT-X1/3, and the last one is an ORB-X12…"
"The Strike Gundam Mk. II, the Hyperion, and the Zeo Astray respectively," interrupted another voice from behind Sahib, "The first one is an improved copy of one of the latest prototypes of the Earth Forces mobile suit development program. The second is an advanced unit belonging to the Eurasian Federation's MS Division. The last is an Orb prototype." Then out stepped the source of the voice, a tall man with black, wavy hair. He then faced Murrue. "So what is it you plan to do now that you're in the Tiger's territory?"
"We would appreciate any help you could offer us." Murrue simply said, cutting to the chase.
Sahib threw a sly grin. "If you want to talk, have your troops lower their guns first." He was aware of the soldiers that were hiding in the shadow of the hatch. He then looked to the three MS. "Have your pilots come out as well."
Murrue signaled to her the crewmen to lower their weapons and then took a communicator from her waist. "Commander La Flaga, Lieutenant Pars, and Ensign (Murrue decided to try and cover Cagalli's real title) Athha, please come down."
Mu, Canard, and Cagalli climbed out of their unit's cockpits and joined Murrue and Honomura. Mu removed his helmet first, followed, by Canard, then finally, Cagalli. The moment Mu had removed his helmet, every one of the resistance fighters were stunned.
"The Hawk of Endymion is now a mobile suit pilot? And these kids are the mobile suit pilots?" Sahib asked, shaking his head. "Wow. I'd never had expected to meet the Hawk, nor would I have imagined that the Earth Alliance were now sticking teens into MS."
The other man stepped forward. "You!" He yelled authoritatively at Cagalli, "What are you thinking, piloting that thing for the Earth Forces? You revealed more than what was intended! And cover yourself up with this, you're showing way too much skin!" He stepped up to her, handing her his desert cape (remember, form-fitting FAFNIR pilot suit minus the funny block shoes).
To the surprise of Murrue, the Archangel Crew, and Sahib, the girl timidly grasped the cape, donned it, and stepped back a bit. "I-I had to! Otherwise...! Otherwise..." Cagalli looked away.
The man calmed and gathered her up in a bear hug. "...I understand. But your father will not be as pleased."
After the hug, Cagalli looked away as she answered. "Truthfully, I sort of had no choice."
That only made the man laugh. "You had no choice?" he repeated, "That's your excuse? You could've headed straight for the alternate destination right after the incident."
"I know... But still...!"
"It's okay. I've confirmed your survival, and I shall report it in." The man turned and headed for one of the jeeps.
"What do you think that was about?" La Flaga whispered to Murrue.
Murrue's only reply was a shrug.
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(Gibraltar Base)
Hundreds of miles away, Yzak, Shiho, and Dearka had finally reached Gibraltar, one of ZAFT's main frontline bases. They had made it through the ordeal of plummeting through Earth's atmosphere, landing near the Desert Tiger's base, then having to deal with a moderately ill Shiho before they could move on to Gibraltar. Now they listened to a pre-recorded message sent by Le Creuset in regards to any further orders.
"It's a great relief that you both survived and now have arrived at Gibraltar." The Commander said, "However, the legged ship slipped away once more, but now is in the African continent. It may prove useful in the long run that you two now on Earth. In the meantime, I want for you to rest before I give you any new orders. That is all." With that, the message ended.
"Well this sucks." Dearka griped, "He wants us to stick with the occupation forces?" To him, he wasn't ever interested in even stepping foot on Earth. Of course, that was the normal mindset of many second generation Coordinators. The very thought of having to walk in a 'contaminated' Earth was very foreign. He then turned to see Yzak slowly removing the bandages that had been covering his face. He'd thought his comrade's wounds were very severe since he joined the last battle, but he quickly changed his mind.
A hideous scar now ran down Yzak's face. Current medical surgery could easily repair the damage. However, Yzak wasn't about to goes through such a procedure yet. "Staying here on this planet suits me just fine, as long as we get the chance to destroy the legged-ship and the bastard that did this to me," he stated through clenched teeth. "I swear that I'll be the one who takes that bastard down!" He suddenly felt a calming influence as someone rested their hand on his shoulder.
"Yzak... Don't let anger get the best of you." Shiho then stood before Yzak. She gently traced the scar with her right hand. "We'll help you take down that ship and its defenders, but you mustn't fight them alone. We're part of a team remember?"
Yzak was strangely at peace. Shiho didn't realize how much influence she had on him. "I won't. I promise not to lose control." He grabbed her right hand with his. "But if anything should happen to you, I..."
"Shh... No need to say anything." Shiho softly shook her head. "I promised that I would ensure your survival. You're very important, you know."
"Not as important as you. God, you scared the hell out of me when you crashed into the legged-ship. You scared me even further when you were taken by a mild fever. I am not going to lose you, Shiho."
"Yzak..." he didn't realize just how much Shiho actually cared for him. She didn't want him to die. He was more valued than she ever was. Her parents weren't exactly happy that she became an MS pilot instead of a bridge bunny. But she knew how much Yzak's mother doted on Yzak, and how she constantly checked in with her to check on her son's safety. "You're just saying that because we're arranged to be married." Her arranged marriage to Yzak was mainly to strengthen ties between the Jule and Hahnenfuss families, though Shiho secretly believed that it was also so that her parents could get rid of her. Secretly, she did feel deeply for her childhood friend, but she wasn't sure that Yzak truly felt the same for her.
"Shiho... It's way more than that. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Yzak was secretly getting frustrated with Shiho. He had tried time and again to let her know that she was loved, but she seemed to continually deny it. He had been the one that watched over her as she recovered from her mild illness.
Shiho looked directly at Yzak. "We're at war, Yzak. There's no telling if and when it'll end, or whether we'll survive. You can't make such promises to me until this war is over... Otherwise..." Shiho suddenly pulled her hand away from his, and ran down the corridor. A tear had escaped her as she turned to run off.
"Shiho..." Yzak stated softly. "I promise, to ensure that both of us will come out of this war alive." After a moment, he turned and walked off.
Unbeknownst to the two, Dearka had slipped off into a nearby hallway upon seeing Shiho coming to cool Yzak down, giving the couple some privacy. Though he heard the whole thing, his mind kept drifting back to the brunette that he wished would voluntarily leave the EA. He hoped that she was doing well, since she did suffer severely from atmospheric reentry. "Miriallia... Please... Be safe."
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(Libyan Desert)
Back in the desert, the Archangel carefully followed the ATVs as it was guided through a rocky ravine between the mountains. The path widened and narrowed at various points and the ship scrapped the side of the side of rocks several times before it finally came to rest near one of the rebel's bases. Right away, the crew and the three pilots commenced rolling out camouflage netting to conceal the ship.
Several men ran from one of the many caves that lined the rocks and stared in shock and awe at the ship and officers following Sahib.
"Sahib, what's all this about?" one questioned.
"These people are my guests." Their leader simply replied as he walked by them. Murrue, Natarle, and La Flaga followed close behind him as they were lead inside the opening of a cave.
Inside, they were led down a winding path. They glanced around and found that smaller caverns held supplies of ammunition, food, an assortment of weapons, and other items. They passed by many other men, but there were no women whatsoever. The main cavern itself was dimly lit and filled with revamped computers and other machines. In the middle was a large table with a map spread out over it.
"Do you people actually live here?" La Flaga asked.
"No, this just is just a frontline base we use during our campaigns." Sahib told him, "We actually live in the nearby towns," he paused. "At least, the ones that haven't been burned to the ground. We have many volunteers from Moula, Tassil, and even as far away as Banadiya."
La Flaga nodded and twisted his head to see the man that talked to Cagalli standing off to the side, but still within listening range. "So who is he?"
"His name is Ledonir Kisaka." Sahib said, "So, you want to reach Alaska." He quickly changed the subject and went to the map on the table. "You'll have to escape the continent, which unfortunately for you is under ZAFT control. Normally their forces wouldn't be out this far, but since the Victoria Spaceport fell–"
"Victoria fell!?" Natarle exclaimed, "When did that happen!?"
"Only three days ago." Sahib grimly answered. "The African Community sided with the PLANTs at the start of the war, but the South African Union held out as long they could before the Earth Forces abandoned them. Everyday the battelines shift."
"With Kaohsiung and now Victoria in ZAFT's hands, all that remains is Panama." Murrue muttered. If that base fell too, then the Earth Alliance would lose nearly all its access to send material to its space forces.
"At least you guys are still fighting hard against the ZAFT occupation forces." La Flaga said, but Sahib threw him a sharp and hard glare.
"From our standpoint, the Earth Alliance and ZAFT are one in the same. They come only to rule and take what they please from others."
"If that's how you feel, they why do want to help us now?" Natarle asked.
"It's because we same a common enemy." Sahib answered. "But back on our original subject, how well does your ship operate within the atmosphere?"
"We can't reach very high altitudes." Murrue told him.
"If you can't fly over a mountain range, you may have to try to break through Gibraltar."
"With our battle strength?" La Flaga almost laughed, "I think the odds would be stacked against us."
"Then you'll have to fight your way to the Red Sea, then make your way over the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The alternative is fight your way to the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia, then speed through the Himalayan Mountain Range until you get near Bhutan, upon which then you must speed directly for Laos and into the Pacific Ocean." His tone made it sound like such a task would be easy. Then again, it wasn't his concern.
"We can't go either path without stopping to restock on supplies." Natarle said.
Murrue looked at the map. "I know that the Oceania Union is allied with ZAFT, but is the Equatorial Union still neutral? If so, maybe we can perhaps negotiate some sort of arrangement with the nation's government."
"It won't matter whether or not they're neutral if you don't get past here." Sahib said, jabbing his finger back on a point on the African continent. "You'll first have to get past the Desert Tiger's lair."
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(ZAFT Base)
DaCosta stepped into his commander's office only to be confronted with an overpowering and strange aroma. His superior sat at his desk mixing a blend of some new coffee, looking almost like a chemistry student working on his latest creation.
"Yes, what is it?" Waltfeld asked as he stirred the black liquid.
"Commander, have you every thought of ventilating this room?"
"...That's why you came in?"
"Uh, no sir." DaCosta answered, standing up straight. "I came to tell you that the preparations for sortie are complete."
"Excellent." Waltfeld then poured his latest brew into a small cup and gave it a quick taste. "Hmm, the desert spices I added makes this an interesting blend." With that, he followed DaCosta down to the deck.
Waiting for them was a line of soldiers and three BuCUEs. Everyone was eager for a bit of revenge for the previous night's losses.
"Last night, we suffered defeat at the hands of renegade insurgents who came to the aid of an ill-prepared battleship." He said to his troops. "Tonight, we'll teach those renegades a lesson they won't soon forget. We are going to strike at their very hearts. Tonight, we will attack the town of Tassil!"
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(Back at the rebel camp)
As the afternoon turned to dusk, Cagalli took the opportunity to take a break after all the work she did in helping with the camouflage netting. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man named Kisaka walking towards her. She nearly took a step back, slightly fearful that he'd chew her out.
"Cagalli. Come with me, we need to talk."
Instead, she hung her head down. "I…I wanted to say that I'm sorry about... Heliopolis..." She said, "Please forgive me."
Kisaka only smiled. "Relax. I'm not going to bite your head off. That's your father's job."
Cagalli cringed a bit. Her father wasn't called the Lion of Orb for nothing. He had teeth. "...Is he very angry with me?"
"He is, but that's because he worries about you, like a good father should."
"I know..."
"The real reason I came to talk with you is about your upcoming wedding. Did you forget about that? Or did you just want to run away?"
Cagalli momentarily glared at him, then turned away. "Neither. It's just that... I'm not sure how you would put it... I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that I'll be secretly abused when I go back up to the PLANTs to live with my husband-to-be." She sighed. "And I don't know if I'll ever learn to love him. I've thought about running away several times, but I promised myself that no matter what, I won't shame my father nor Orb."
Kisaka was quiet for a moment. "Then if that's your final decision, then you have permission to remain with the Archangel until it reaches the Pacific. Then, I'll escort you back to Orb."
That surprised Cagalli. "Wha... How... Why...?"
Kisaka smiled. "Your father said that as long as you won't run away, and that you'll return to Orb voluntarily, I won't have to commadeer your mobile suit and head straight for Orb this instant, with you tied and gagged."
"That's not funny! Was that last part true?" she demanded.
"Only the part about tying you up," he said. "You can't imagine how troublesome you are when unleashed."
She nodded. "I guess you're right." She then countered his smile with her own. "But if you gag me, I'll scream rape and pedophile all about Orb."
"That's something that I know only too well." Kisaka then turned to leave, but paused. "I'll be joining you in the Archangel when you leave."
Before Cagalli could ask why, the voices of other people drifted in. Cagalli knew the voices.
"Hold on, Flay!" commanded Flay's father, "What's with you?" He had recovered from his hostage ordeal, and had his head and left arm wrapped in white bandages.
"I told you already!" Flay shot back, "Not all Coordinators are bad!" She came out from behind a rock and upon seeing Canard, who was approaching Cagalli; she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his arms and torso in a gesture of gratitude.
"Uhh... What the hell is going on here?" questioned Canard, who was completely confused by the sudden gesture.
"If you really must know," Flay turned back to her father after letting go of Canard, "He's a Coordinator, and he's with the Eurasian Federation!"
Cagalli just slipped into the background. This was going to turn nasty.
"That's because Eurasia is nothing but a load of pathetic garbage! They're willing to turn a blind eye if they can hire a Coordinator! Coordinators can not, and will not, be your friends! They'll backstab you the moment they get!"
"You don't know anything, father! The girl I went to visit, the one that's in critical condition, she's a Coordinator too! She's the one that traded her life for yours, twice! She suffered... because of my selfishness..." Flay had to turn away a moment to cry and get a hold of herself. Then she turned back. "I will make amends, I will determine for myself if all Coordinators are as bad as you say they are." With that said, she turned and ran up the ship's crew ramp.
"Damn it, why… why can't you understand…!?" muttered Flay's father. He glared at Canard, who has since then regained his malacious smirk, then turned and stalked back into the ship.
Cagalli was bewildered as she watched them leave. Until the other day, she had been doting on her father when he was ill. This sudden shift didn't make sense, especially since Flay recanted her statement that she hated Coordinators known. It now looked like her father lost the daughter he raised to hate Coordinators to the kindness and sacrifice of one.
Meanwhile, Tolle and Sai overheard the entire exchange. They had been afraid that something like this would happen, but not so violently. They couldn't understand why Flay's father didn't accept his beloved daughter's wishes.
"Well, I'd better go and check up on Flay. I'll see you later." Sai made for Flay's room, where he found the girl crying. All he did was gather her up in his arms, and let her cry freely until she finally fell asleep.
Back outside, Canard turned to Cagalli. "So... little miss red head got into an argument with her father regarding Coordinators... right?"
"Umm... Yeah... That doesn't disturb you any?"
"Nah. I've had my fair share of it. Remember, I used to be held in handcuffs almost every other day while at Artemis. Speaking of which, have you ever found out just what that bald bastard Garcia did to this ship?"
"No... What did he do?"
"I've just had time to explore the ship properly, and I found out that bastard has installed a miniaturized and more efficient version of the Umbrella of Artemis into the ship." Canard laughed. "Well, if there's one thing to thank that bald bastard for, it would be for that."
"So, where and how did he install the devices?"
"He added the shield's beam emitters into the CIWS turrets as well as into certain portions of the ship. The layout was strategically planned to allow both maximum coverage, as well as spot coverage. The only setback is that the CIWS in the turrets can't be used at the same time, since the emitters place its triangular portion of the shield directly in front of the CIWS' direction. However, since the shield segment is mounted on a turret, the system allows for projecting that section anywhere within the turret's coverage arc." If there was one thing that was unknowingly shared between Canard and his brother, Kira, it was their passion for technology, though neither knew of that link.
"And how was this not detected?"
"Because the command program to use them was hidden deep within the Captain's console."
"What...!? You hacked into the Captain's command console?"
"Yeah, though I may be a failure, I still have the skills."
Cagalli, having no real interest in the technical aspects, jumped on a different thought. "What do you mean, 'though I may be a failure'?"
Realizing he had said too much, Canard turned and quickly ran up the ramp. 'Too close, I have to watch what I'm saying. Damn it, Kira Yamato, when I find you, I'm going to kill you and prove that I'm not a failure!'
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(Evening)
By the time that night had fallen, DaCosta had pulled the jeep he and Waltfeld rode in up to a ridge overlooking the town of Tassil. By the looks of everything, it appeared that the townspeople had all turned in for the night. Just a few lights shone in the windows of a number of houses.
"It looks like they're all preparing for bed."
"There are some people who enjoy attacking while the enemy sleeps, but that isn't my style." Waltfeld said before turning to his second-in-command. "DaCosta, go down and inform them that we're give them a fifteen minute warning. When the time expires, we'll commence the operation."
"Sir?"
"Hurry up and go."
"Yes, sir." With that DaCosta hopped into a second jeep and drove down towards the town.
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Back at the camp, a shrill alarm rang though the camp, bringing everyone to their feet. Murrue, Natarle, and La Flaga listened closely as Sahib grabbed a radio.
"What's happening!?"
"There is fire in the sky!" the voice shouted back, "It's coming from the direction of Tassil!"
A look of horror spread across Sahib's face. "The Tiger." He whispered.
The rebel camp was now in a state of near chaos as men ran back and forth. They clamored about gathering ammunition and weapons. Watching his comrades, Sahib climbed atop of crates and waved his arms.
"Everyone calm down, don't lose your heads!" he called out, "We have to be cautious in case this is a diversionary attack! I want half of us to remain here!"
Both Murrue and La Flaga stood by, trying to keep out of the way.
"Well, what do you think?" she asked.
"I've never heard of any atrocities committed by Andrew Waltfeld." He shrugged, "But of course, I don't personally know the man."
"The Archangel should remain here in case this is a diversion meant to draw us out, but these people may need help." She turned to the Commander, "Why don't you go?"
"You mean me?"
"Take the Strike II with the Lightning Pack. It's the fastest MS available."
La Flaga nodded. "Okay, I'll do it."
"And I'll send a doctor with any officer as a sign of goodwill, since they helped us, even if it wasn't for our sake."
"Roger that, Captain." With that, La Flaga dashed off it get suited up.
When the news for all crewmembers to return to the ship and take battle stations reached Cagalli while she was just watching over the pod that held Miriallia, she too hurried to make her way to the hanger. Canard too, headed for the hangar. Using a special remote, he pre-activated his Hyperion.
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Meanwhile, Tassil had now become a raging inferno, with flames completely engulfing the town. DaCosta had returned and climbed back into the driver's seat.
"So it is over?" Waltfeld asked, opening one eye.
"Yes, sir."
"What about causalities?"
DaCosta was baffled. "None of our troops or mobile suits were lost."
"I mean on both sides."
"Well, there may have been the random person who might have suffered some burns, smoke inhalation, or took a stumble. However, the troops were careful not to kill anyone, as per your orders."
"Good, now let's withdraw. The renegades may be back soon."
DaCosta was surprised. "Wasn't that the plan, to lure them into an ambush?"
"Of course not." Waltfeld leaned back in his seat. "We've completed our objectives here. Now let's head back to the Lesseps."
"Yes, sir." DaCosta relayed the message to the troops.
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(Near Tassil)
The Desert Dawn fighters sped as quickly as possible. Tassil was a fair distance from their base, but the blaze lit up the night sky, and they all could see the horrible sight.
"The town…" Cagalli gasped, zooming in on the situation while in an Aile-equipped Zeo Astray. Though a bit further away, she was higher up and was quickly gaining.
"Damn! What a mess!" Canard stayed with the Archangel, but zoomed in as close as he could from his position hovering above the ship.
"What about the people?" Ahmed, a teen, asked Sahib. It was a question everyone feared the answer.
Just then, the Strike II flew above and past them. La Flaga began to circle the remains of the town. Most of the shops and houses were already ablaze, and those that weren't would soon be. "This is bad, absolute destruction." He then thought he spotted something, lowered the MS, and was surprised to see what he found.
On an elevated ridge, he found a large group of elderly men, along with women and children. "This is La Flaga." He radioed, "I've located survivors."
"Thank goodness." Murrue's voice said, "How many?"
"Here's the thing. It looks like everyone managed to get out alive."
"What, how is that possible? Where's the enemy now?"
"I don't know; they've already gone." With that, he quickly landed near the group moments before the Desert Dawn members arrived. He watched as the men jumped out and searched for their families.
Right then, the jeep Murrue sent out reached the area and Natarle joined La Flaga. "What happened here, Commander?"
"It looks like a small miracle of some sort." He folded his arms.
They continued to watch as Sahib hurried through the crowd, directing those who could to help the injured. Suddenly they spotted Sahib talking to a small boy. After a moment, he went right back to the task at hand and found one of the town's elders. By this time, Cagalli had joined him. "How many people were killed?"
"Not a single life was lost tonight." The elder informed them.
Sahib, Cagalli, Mu, Murrue, Natarle, Canard, and the other Desert Dawn members were nearly floored by the news.
"How did that happen?" Sahib asked.
"They gave us an advance warning."
"'They' who?" Cagalli then asked.
"The ZAFT soldiers." The elder explained, "One came down and told us we had fifteen minutes to flee before they would attack. And true to his word, a full fifteen minutes past before they began to set fire to the town. They destroyed food, water, ammunition, and fuel, every last bit of supplies. It's true no one lost their lives, but what are we going to do now?"
Sahib clenched his fists. "What is that man up to?"
"You know, survival is still possible." Mu said, stepping forward. He and Natarle had been listening in as well. "This was probably retaliation for your intervention last night. You should be thankful he was this merciful."
"You've must be kidding!" Cagalli rushed up and grabbed his shirt. "You call this merciful, leave an entire town all but homeless?"
Mu edged back, but she didn't release her hold. "I apologize if I upset you, but you have to remember the ZAFT forces are a professional army. They could've easily demolished this town without warning if they wanted to. If they had, then maybe no one would be alive right now."
Cagalli's anger subsided, and she let go of Mu. "...Though I hate to admit it, you're right."
However, Ahmed's anger didn't. "That man's no tiger, he's a jackal. He's attacks a defenseless town while we're not around and calls it a victory. Everyday we fight on courageously; we even destroyed three BuCUEs last night. Now that coward tries to get us back with an attack like this. Damn that man!"
Sahib only watched on until one of his men ushered him to the side. Mu saw it too, but didn't see where they went. When he looked back at Ahmed, he shuddered. He had a very furious expression. He privately worried that the boy would do something reckless.
"You got a point, that Desert Tiger's a lowlife," he stated, trying to calm the boy down.
"Oh, to hell with you!" he shouted and then she stomped off.
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A ring of fighters had gathered by the time Sahib joined them. "What's all this about?"
"There's still a chance we can catch up to them if we leave now." One of his men said, "We can kill him if we act quickly."
"No, that's out of the question!" Sahib exclaimed, "It's too reckless! If you feel that you must do something, then stay with your wives and children. They take precedence."
"What good will that do?" another demanded, pointing to the burning ruins, "Tassil is gone and other towns will suffer the same fate if the Tiger is left alive! Our minds are already made up!"
With that, the men jumped aboard every available ATV and sped off into the night.
"Stop!" Sahib called out and one of the men who hadn't left came forward.
Ahmed rushed up as well. "What are you going, Sahib?"
Mu and Cagalli overheard the situation as well.
"I have to stop them. What they're doing to far too dangerous." He climbed into another ATV.
"I'll go with you!" he said.
But Sahib held up a restraining hand. "No, I want you and the other boys to remain here." His ATV then sped away.
Nodding at each other, Mu and Cagalli headed back to their mobile suits.
Ahmed kicked the sand in frustration. Just then, Kisaka pulled up in another ATV. He hopped in and followed after Sahib. They waved to him as they caught up to him.
"I told you to stay behind!" he shouted to them.
"Sahib, have you already forgotten that we were the ones who destroyed the BuCUEs last night?" Ahmed joked.
"There aren't any of our traps where we're going!"
"Even without the traps," Ahmed said holding an RPG, "we have other weapons." The ATV then accelerated ahead.
Sahib feared what was going to happen.
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Meanwhile, Mu contacted the Archangel and reported on the situation as he began to follow the jeeps.
"Why didn't you try to stop them, Commander?" Murrue demanded, glaring through the monitor.
"If I had, they'd probably have turned on us and still be chasing after the enemy. Besides, we have a town of unarmed civilians that need our help. Food, and especially water, is badly needed."
Murrue sighed. "All right, I'll send what supplies we can spare over right away."
"What about the men followed the enemy?"
"You and Cagalli will go ahead and pursue. I'll send Canard to back you up. We cannot allow them to be slaughtered."
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Meanwhile out in the desert, Waltfeld's group made their way back to base, but their speed concerned DaCosta.
"Commander, shouldn't we quicken our pace?"
Waltfeld opened one eye and glanced over. "Are you that eager to get back to base, DaCosta?"
"No sir, it's just that what if the renegades try to pursue us? They may catch up to us."
Waltfeld just leaned back and rested his head, almost as though this was a casual weekend drive. "Their weapons are no match for our BuCUEs. Then again, there is the old saying, 'I'd rather die'. I've heard some people say it, but how many of them actually mean it?"
"Sir?"
Before Waltfeld could elaborate, the radio sounded as a message from one of the pilots, Kirkwood, came in. "Sir, I've detected eight objects closing in on us. They appear to be ones from the resistance."
"So I guess that some people would foolishly risk their lives." Waltfeld muttered.
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(Desert Skirmish)
The Desert Dawn fighters sped across the dunes until they found their target. They then gunned their ATVs' engine and swarmed down, hefting RPGs and taking aim.
"Go after that jeep!" one fighter shouted, "Kill the Tiger!"
The projectiles were blocked by the BuCUEs as the ZAFT jeeps hurried to safety. The mobile suits' mono-eyes flashed as they targeted the tiny enemy vehicles. The ATVs spun away, narrowly dodging missiles that came their way. The Desert Dawn fighers returned fire, but their shots went wide and missed the charging BuCUEs. As one raised a limb to swat away the ATVs, Ahmed aimed her RPG and fired, scoring a direct hit to the mobile suit's face.
While the machine was stunned, the other immediately took aim and fired another volley. Several hits impacted the leg joints, but when Kisaka's shot hit, the mobile suit crumpled to the ground. The Desert Dawn warriors cheered at the sight, but their jubilation died quickly.
The second of the three BuCUEs had switched to its treads and rushed forward. It came in behind several of the ATVs and with a surge of speed steamrolled the vehicles. Both man and machine were crushed in an instant.
"Damn it! I can't fire! I'll hit the Desert Dawn jeeps!" wailed Cagalli as she attempted to track the BuCUEs through the chaos.
The remaining ATVs tried to scatter, but it didn't matter which way they went. The third BuCUE swung one of its front limbs and knocked over the ATVs unfortunate enough to be in the path. The ones that did escape then had to contend with the other BuCUE as it flattened the ATVs in its direct path and used missile to blow away the others. Soon only Sahib's and Ahmed's ATVs were among the only ones left.
Ahmed turned the steering wheel, bringing the ATV right under the nearest BuCUE. Once underneath, he and Kisaka opened fire at the underbelly of the machine. Suddenly, the mobile suit decelerated and let the ATV get in front of it. Kisaka knew what was coming next.
"Quick, jump off!" he shouted before he leapt off.
Ahmed wasn't fast enough, and the BuCUE's leg swatted the ATV as though it was an insect and sent it flying. When it crashed down, Cagalli gasped in horror at the sight of his broken and bloody body still strapped in the mangled and flaming wreckage. Though she didn't know him personally, she feared for him. Sahib had to distract the BuCUE in order for Kisaka to flee. His plan worked too well and the machine gave chase. The ATV didn't have the speed to escape and it'd only be moments until it would be crushed.
Finally finding an opening, an angry Cagalli unleashed a green beam of energy, nearly striking the ZAFT mobile suit, causing it to change course.
Sahib looked up to see the Zeo Astray attempting to distract it.
While the first shot was off its mark, the second was on the mark. It hit the BuCUE's missile launcher, which was quickly jettisoned before it exploded. Now it lacked a portion of its weaponry. Cagalli came in fast, drew her beam saber, and sliced the unit neatly in two.
Mu on the other hand, was having problems. He didn't immediately realize that the desert heat was interfering with his unit's aim. "Damn it!" Frustrated, he barely managed to evade the counter-fire from the BuCUE that chased after him while he switched the targeting to manual. "I don't have time to make any adjustments!" This time though, relying on his own judgment, he was able to place two shots from his Electromagnetic Cannon into the unit, ending the battle. The unit lost both left legs and it's railguns. It was disabled.
Cagalli took a quick assessment of the situation. She saw the dead body of a Desert Dawn comrade and bitterness filled her.
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DaCosta had pulled the ATV to a safe distance where he and Waltfeld could observe the battle. "When did the Strike II and the red unit come?"
"They probably went after those rebel lunatics in an attempt to stop them. But unfortunately for them, their comrades were too close to our MS for them to fire. Look at both of them, they have different weaponry than from the previous encounter. It appears that their new equipment is designed for higher mobility." Waltfeld noted, "And both pilots were able to change their weapon's settings almost instantly. I doubt that the Strike II is piloted by a Coordinator, otherwise, he wouldn't have missed that many shots before switching over to manual targeting. But the other one... Hmm..."
Whoever the pilots were, they were good. Waltfeld then twisted his head to see the disabled BuCUE start to rise back to its feet. He grabbed the wireless.
"Kirkwood, let me take over and pilot your mobile suit."
"Sir?" the pilot's confused voice replied.
"Just do it! That's an order!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Commander, what do you think you're doing?" DaCosta exclaimed. "This is completely unorthodox and goes against every protocol."
Waltfeld smirked. "I didn't earn my nickname by following protocol and being orthodox, now did I?" He leapt out of the ATV to switch over to the mobile suit.
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As both Mu and Cagalli targeted the BuCUE that Mu disabled; something impacted Cagalli from the side. She was knocked back, and to her surprise, and Mu's as well, saw that the machine they had thought was out of action was in fact back in the fight. She got the Zeo Astray back on to its feet and dodged the incoming missile attack. Now the functioning BuCUE was attacking with an unusual amount of skill. Mu had to retreat back into the sky, and tried to gun down the unit. Cagalli however, attempted to duel it in close combat. But as both pilots attempted to double-team the BuCUE, it unleashed a key volley of missiles that forced both of them to disengage. In such close quarters, they couldn't dodge all the missiles and impact tossed both the Strike and the Zeo back. The BuCUE then would take the initiative and ram Cagalli while she tried to recover.
It was an ingenious strategy meant to effectively prevent either Gundam from firing on it. While the BuCUE tangled with the Zeo, it prevented Mu from sniping it. As it closed once more on Cagalli, a strange sensation overtook her senses once more, rapidly sharpening them. It was like she could perceive everything around right down to the smallest detail. She pulled back mere seconds before the BuCUE slammed into her. Using the shield, she momentarily disoriented the ZAFT MS with a swift toss that got in its way. Mu then opened fire, forcing the BuCUE to pull back momentarily.
But before it could come to a new strategy, the Hyperion finally arrived, unleashing a pair of beam SMGs on the BuCUE. Deciding that retreating was the better part of valor, the BuCUE then retreated.
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Mu came out of the Strike and surveyed the battlefield. Smoke filled the air and wreckage and bodies laid scattered about in the sand. Sahib now scowled at his men that were lucky enough to survive.
"Are you proud of yourselves now?" he scolded, "Was this what you wanted? How will you now face the women who've now lost their husbands and the children whose fathers are now dead!?"
The men hung their heads in shame, but the dying Ahmed spoke up.
"Sahib, we didn't want anyone to die... but, we had to do this... We had to take the fight to him...!"
"So you thought you could win using just with RPGs against mobile suits?" Canard asked as he came down from his unit, "Didn't you think of how stupid that was?"
"What?!" exclaimed a rebel. He grabbed Canard's collar. "Can you say that to them?" he pointed to the bodies of his fallen comrades. "How dare you say that they died for nothing? We're all fighting to protect the places and people we care about!"
Trying to protect home and family was one thing, but dying out in the middle of a desert as the result of a foolish attack was another. Canard knew that those men had died because of naivety and thanks to their own ignorance. As he was about to punch the gut of the rebel that held him, he saw Cagalli run up to the rebel and slap him hard across the face. "You protect nothing when you throw away people's lives!"
Letting go of Canard, the man just stood there, his eyes wide in shock as he felt the stinging pain of the mark Cagalli's hand had left.
Meanwhile in Banadiya, Waltfeld had returned to his headquarters and now sat his in private office.
"Andy, are you going to eat?" a soft voice spoke, "I made you your favorite."
He smiled as a slender arm curled around his neck. "Of course, Aisha, it's just I have my mind on something else at the moment." He looked to her lovely figure.
Aisha gave him a bright smile. Her lovely raven black hair came down over her shoulders and the slight orange highlights shone in the light. She wore a blue colored form fitting outfit that showed off her figure. Waltfeld had met her at a desert warfare conference back at the PLANTs. It turned out that they shared many common interests. Since then, the two were nearly inseparable.
"Tell me, my dear, Martin's seems so agitated. What happened today?"
"I think I have finally overcome my greatest foe." He was talking about his boredom.
"Really, how so?"
"There is an enemy pilot or two that has piqued my interest." He explained. "And I believe that things are only going to become more interesting very soon."
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To Be Continued…
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So... Would this make up for the previous chapter's deficiency? Please Read and review!
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