Chapter 24

"Aim CIWS and block those missiles you imbeciles!" Rika shouted at the crew.

Leon entered the bridge in time to hear her. He realised if she was yelling, they were in real trouble. He made it to the back of her seat, when another blast hit the ship, shaking the entire room. This was getting extremely serious. He managed to move to her side, saw the look of desperation and hatred. Leon knew he likely had a similar look. The ship was close, very close to it's target. But not close enough to use the main weapon. The Tesares Canon, was the first and only of it's kind. Four positron canons aimed at a funnelling apparatus, so the concentrated beam had four times the kick with a more precise aim. It truly was, a devilish weapon. Leon was almost proud of it. Though to date, it had not been fired at full charge. The plan was, to use it at full power output...

...to render the PLANTS into space dust.

"Rika, how much damage has the ship incurred?" Leon asked, gripping the chair to keep from being flung about the room.

"We're holding up at about seventy percent right now, but if this barrage doesn't let up, we won't last long enough to complete our mission." She replied, gritting her teeth.

"Those damned Coordinators, they have us pinned on all sides." Leon said with distaste "Even though there are only four of them."

"There may only be four but one has the added fire power of a Meteor to boost the suits abilities." Rika told him, watching the shock and anger rush over his features "We're dead in the water unless we get rid of that one."

"Right. Soon as the Seraphim is repaired, I'll head out and deal with that little pest." Leon sneered "Be sure and hold the fort for me."

"I'll do what I can." She told him, as he pushed off toward the door.

By the time he reached the flight deck, his machine was almost ready to go. Though now, he had new problem. How to launch without getting caught in the hail of laser fire. As he prepared to head out, he banked on being targeted the very second he left the ship. He would have to be ready. Go out, guns blazing and try to take a couple of them out. What he didn't bet on, was a machine that could reflect his laser attacks. As the Seraphim shot down the launch strip, it was instantly thrust into the chaotic tornado of battle. Suffering a hit to the back seconds after launch, Leon tried to regain control as his Mobile Suit spun wildly from the hit. Once he corrected that, he came nearly face to face with the golden colored Mobile Suit that had been at OBR. He shot at it, the laser bounced off like a ball against a wall.

The Akatsuki aimed and fired multiple shots in quick succession, using it's Guided Mobile Beam Turret System, that could aim seven different beams at the same time from different locations. Leon found it tough to deal with. His suit barely managing to get away long enough to fire off a few rounds, which to his astonishment, were deflected by the Suit itself. How could this be? Was it truly made of Gold? He tried to get close to it, beam sabre at the ready, but each time he tried to near it, those remote lasers would dart out and attack from all sides. Even though not all the shots landed, enough did to damage his machine further, making fighting that much harder. Leon was certain he could take it out, if he was just able to get close enough to it.

But it seemed that was not going to happen. No matter how many times he tried to get near it, he would be beaten back. This guy had to go down, come what may. Leon went for an all out lunge attack, succeeding in getting close enough to slice half the head off. Though his own machine paid dearly for his recklessness. In that moment when the two machines were in close proximity, both sustained heavy damage. Leon may have inflicted damage that would hinder some of the fighting strength of the machine, but his own suffered too, having an arm severed, loosing one his rifles and a good chunk from the shoulder also. The two machines kept on at each other. The two pilots determined to destroy the other. Neither willing to give in or give up. In a heartbeat the two machines were grappling. The sounds of screeching metal filling his ears, Leon did not care.

"I will take you out!" He shouted with hatred, knowing his opponent could hear him.

"Not in this lifetime pal!" The other pilot shouted back.

"We shall see about that!" Leon chose this moment to unleash a cannon blast at point blank range.

It struck the Gold machine in the upper chest section. Blowing it clear across no less that five hundred yards away. As it spiralled out control, the pilot cursing as he tried to right his machine. Leon moved in for the kill. His opponent was weakened. Now was his chance to win. To defeat. To destroy. He took aim with his canon again, right at the cockpit this time. The evil grin that spread over his face would make even the most brave person cower away from him.

"Now you DIE!" He bellowed, his tone so demonic.

"I don't think so!" Came a new voice on the radio, that wasn't his opponent.

"What!?" Leon managed to say, before his machine was hit hard with a canon blast.

"I won't let you...kill my friend." The voice was young, but strong.

Leon lost control, spinning through space, half his thrusters non functioning. He couldn't compensate for it. As his machine slowed down, the last view he would ever see greeted him on the screen. The Arc Angel was aiming it's positron canon directly at him. It fired and his Mobile Suit along with his body, disintegrated instantly. Rika watched this happen. From her place on the bridge she witnessed Leon being defeated. She refused to go out that way. She would complete her task. She would personally get rid of every last Coordinator. Once and for all. They were a blight on the world, that needed to be eradicated. Rika felt little towards the loss of Leon Takinaki. He was a means to an end for her. Nothing more. A little bit of fun, in the midst of a boring trip. But, Rika certainly recognised the loss of a capable soldier.

"How long till the Tesares is at full charge!?" She barked out at the bridge crew.

"Another fifteen minutes ma'am!" Came the reply.

"Damnit! We need to hurry it up!" She shouted, her expression was more than simply being pissed off.

She was livid.

"Get rid of those Mobile Suits attacking us already! What are you buffoons doing!?" She was almost screeching at them now.

"They're too fast ma'am! We can't get a lock on them!" One crew member replied in a panic.

"Are there anymore machines on board!?" She demanded, gripping the arm rests.

"No ma'am, all available Mobile Suits were deployed ma'am!" Came the response she did not want to hear.

"Oh for...Call back as many machines are you can! Get them back here to defend us!" She bellowed.

The crew did their best, but more than half their Mobile Suits had been either destroyed or put out of commission. They were loosing. How, did not make sense. But they were indeed loosing. She could hear the periodic countdown for the Tesares. It was so close to full charge. Once it was, she could aim it at Aprilius and get rid of those damned freaks once and for all. She would not fail like her predecessors had. That simply was not an option for her. And as if to compound matters, the ship was taking more and more damage the longer they had to wait to deploy their main weapon. Time, it seemed, was not on their side at this point. They needed to break through and crush the the PLANTS. The crew were all shouting at the same time. Hull damage to numerous decks, the left launch hatch was unusable due to damage sustained from a canon blast. The ship was in terrible shape.

But Rika knew they had to press on. The ship was tough, it would survive the mission. Her faith in it, in the construction, was infallible.

She was about to be proved...very wrong.

~~~X~~~