Falcon of Tekkadan

Chapter 45: If This Is The End

The battle between the revolutionaries and the Arianrhod Fleet was well underway. Everyone in Tekkadan was fighting the Arianrhod Fleet, despite being outnumbered they were still holding their own. Kenji was currently using all the skills and tricks he learned to take down multiple enemy Mobile Suits with ease. That included quickly going in for a kill then flying away, like a falcon. But it seemed that there is no end to the number of enemies appearing.

"Dang it, this battle is on a completely different level, the end had better be worth all this trouble." Kenji said.

"Don't spare the ammo. The goal is in sight after we've cleared our path this far. If we just get Rustal Elion of the Arianrhod Fleet, our future will change!" Orga announced.

"We know that!" Shino said.

"We risk our lives for the last time. After this, be it girls or money, it's all going to be yours!" Orga said.

"One girl is already enough for me, isn't that right Lafter?" Akihiro asked.

"That's right!" Lafter said.

Everyone detected more Ahab Waves increasing.

"More?" Hush asked.

The new group started to open fire on Hush's Hekija.

"Dang it!" Hush screamed out.

"Too slow!" The female Gjallarhorn pilot Julieta Juris said.

Mikazuki managed to intercept Julieta before she could get to Hush.

"That machine..." Julieta said.

"Mr. Mikazuki." Hush said.

Mikazuki and Kenji were both making short work of the Mobile Suits.

"This is tough." Kenji said.

"You're telling me. How long is this going to last? All of this?" Mikazuki asked.

"I don't know and there's no time to figure out the answer, let's just fight." Kenji said.

Julieta managed to take down some of Tekkadan's Mobile Suits, allowing her team to slip through towards the ships. Then she engaged Mikazuki in combat, leaving Kenji to deal with the attack team. Kenji chased them towards the Isaribi and the Hotarubi, where the defending Mobile Suits were shooting at them.

"We shoot them down and they just keep on coming." Akihiro said.

"Just keep up the pace, they're bound to run out of Mobile Suits eventually." Lafter said.

"Darn it! Dang you, Arianrhod." Derma said.

"Don't let them get any closer." Orga ordered.

However, two shots pass through and hit the Isaribi, luckily Chad and Dante arrived just in time to save the Isaribi.

"Sorry everyone." Chad said.

"We won't let them..." Dante was interrupted by an alarm.

Kenji looked to see the Arianrhod Fleet firing a retreat signal. Even the Arianrhod Mobile Suits started to retreat as well.

"What? A retreat signal from the Arianrhod? Rustal Elion is giving up? That can't be right." Kenji then started a broadcast transmission to the entire Revolutionary Fleet. "Hi, this is Kenji Hayabusa of Tekkadan speaking. Am I the only one here who thinks there is something fishy about this sudden retreat by the Arianrhod Fleet? I've never actually met the man, but I don't think Rustal Elion is the kind of person to just throw in the towel like this. I think he's getting ready to pull out a trick hidden up his sleeve, something that will take us all by surprise. If anyone sees anything even remotely suspicious, shout it out."

After a minute, Kenji gets a transmission from Liza Enza. "Everyone, one of our Grazes is in front of my ship, it looks like he's holding a... wait... is that a Dáinsleif?"

Kenji immediately realized what's going on and made another broadcast. "That Graze in front of Liza Enza's ship is not a revolutionary, he's one of Rustal's spies! Stop him! Do not let him fire that Dáinsleif!"

Kenji's words were in vain, the spy fired the Dáinsleif at the Arianrhod Fleet before taking his own life. Kenji then heard McGillis order everyone to take evasive action. "Now Rustal can freely fire Dáinsleifs at us, this is bad."

Kenji ignited his thruster wings, preparing for the incoming volleys. When the first one came, he managed to dodge it with Phoenix's maneuverability, but it still devastated the Revolutionary Fleet, even Liza Enza's ship. Kenji looked at the aftermath of that attack in complete shock. "It wasn't enough that the Arianrhod outnumbered us, Rustal had to use the weapon that killed Uncle Naze." He then noticed they were about fire another round. "Again? Are you serious?"

Kenji prepared to evade the next round. When it came a second time Kenji managed to dodge it again, but Shino was hit after he saved Ride.

"Mr. Shino!" Ride went to get Flauros back to the Isaribi.

Both the Isaribi and the Hotarubi also got hit, the Isaribi was still fine but the Hotarubi looked like it's now severely damaged.

"They got Hotarubi." Akihiro said.

"We can't take much more of this!" Lafter said.

Mikazuki tried to contact the Isaribi. "Orga. Orga!"

"I'm alive, Mika. How's Hotarubi?" Orga asked.

"We're fine. Or not, really. We've lost weapons control." Eugene said.

"Got it. Send your crew over to Isaribi." Orga ordered.

"Roger that." Eugene said.

"We'll hurry, too. Control the damage on the ship and prepare to resupply Mobile Suits. Everyone else, prepare to receive the crew from Hotarubi." Orga said.

"Rustal Elion played us good, we need a game-changer, and fast." Kenji said.

Once everyone still alive made it safely over to Isaribi, a final, desperate plan was made. Using the damaged Hotarubi as a shield, Tekkadan will charge straight at the Arianrhod, towards Rustal's flagship. Once they get close enough, Isaribi will detach Hotarubi and start retreating while Hotarubi moves toward the target. On top of the Hotarubi will be Flauros and its Dáinsleif, or Ryusei-Go IV and its Super Galaxy Cannon as Shino likes to call it. Shino will fire the Super Galaxy Cannon straight at the enemy bridge and kill Rustal Elion.

"I like this plan." Kenji then contacted Shino. "Hey Shino! How does this sound? You call Rustal Elion. Tell him your name, say that you're going to be the man to kill him, and that he should prepare to die. Once that's done, say the line: "Now open up wide, Rustal!" Then fire your Super Galaxy Cannon."

Shino laughed. "I'm about to become famous. I'm going to be the guy who killed Rustal Elion!"

"Hey. What's that?" Kenji asked.

Over in Kenji's direction, he saw Gundam Bael flying in front of the remaining Revolutionary Fleet.

"So, you finally join the battle, eh Mac? I hope that hand injury of yours won't cause too much trouble for you." Kenji said.

Lafter called Kenji. "Hey Kenji! You ready?"

"Yeah Lafter, let's end this." Kenji said after Phoenix had been refueled and resupplied with fresh ammo.

"You'll help the others create an opening for us?" Orga asked.

"I'll fire one missile barrage at the Mobile Suits, will that work?" Kenji asked back.

"It's perfect." Orga said.

After another Dáinsleif barrage was fired at the Revolutionaries, Tekkadan began to put their plan into motion. They started moving towards the Arianrhod with Hotarubi in front of Isaribi as a shield. Kenji was helping Mikazuki and the others deal with the Mobile Suits. When he saw that there were enough enemies in front of them, he fired his missile barrage to destroy them, giving the ships their opening. He then took out his katana and started picking off the remaining Mobile Suits one by one while Mikazuki was dealing with Julieta.

"Endure it, to the very limit." Orga said.

Once they got close enough, Isaribi detached Hotarubi with Shino on top of it. Shino then contacted Rustal Elion.

"Hi there Rustal Elion," Shino started, "my name is Norba Shino and I'm going to be the guy who kills you! Prepare to die!"

"Fire!" Akihiro yelled.

"Fire!" Lafter yelled.

"Fire!" Ride yelled.

"Fire!" Kenji yelled. "Finish this guy!"

"Shino!" Orga yelled.

"Now open up wide, Rustal!" Shino yelled. "Super Galaxy Cannon! Fire!"

Just when Shino's Super Galaxy Cannon was about to launch, Julieta managed to throw her weapon at Ryusei-Go IV before getting hit by Barbatos. The impact of the thrown weapon caused the Super Galaxy Cannon to miss.

Kenji just couldn't believe what happened. "What...?"

"Dang it! Dang it!" Shino started to fly towards the Arianrhod Fleet, only for them to fire upon him. "No!" That was the last thing Shino would ever say...

"Shino!" Kenji yelled.