Dustine's turquoise and white VF-1 variable fighter chased a pirate star fighter over Lufen. She fired off two missiles and watched them bob and weave after the starfighter. One gets decoyed while the other reaches its target, exploding on the fighters right side. The explosion caused the forcefield to shatter explosively and Dustine swept in to fire upon the starfighter with her gunpod. The fullisade of bullets ripped through the fighters armor and its fuel cells causing it to explode messily.
"Splash one!" Dustine grinned as one snuck up behind her.
"Ones on your tail scepter three!" Yuuno called out.
"Awwk!" Dustine yelped as beam fire streaked past her fighter.
She spun and dodged, grunting with the g-forces.
Yuuno swept in, firing his missiles. Like Dusrtine's they ruptured the force fields, then Dustine recovered and finished it off.
"Thanks, Yuuno!" Dustine smiled.
"I'll save your ass next time," Dustine promised and both chased after another pirate fighter.
Meanwhile, Nanoha and Fate just finished off another fighter.
"Thats 10." Nanoha noted.
"We're nearly out of missiles," Jack Archer reported. "Had some misses, but our squad got 20 gtargets."
"Head back to ship to re-arm," Nanoha ordered.
"Yes ma'am."
"Team, missile status?" Fate radioed their pilots.
Everyone reported in, they were still in sufficient bnumbers to continue. They were doing well so far. However she was worried about two of her team mates.
"Follow me, Tea!" Subaru Nakajima cried as she flew after a pirate fighter.
"Don't be reckless, Subaru!" Teana Lanster protested as she followed after.
Instead of blasting it with missiles, Subaru charged after the pirate fighter, blasted its shields with wing mounted lasers then finished off with a gunpod. "WHOO HOO."
"YOU IDIOT." Teana chastized her.
"Sorry sorry...but I got it right?"
"There they go again..." Dustine noted.
"They're always like that," Yuuno noted to Dustine
"Subaru's pretty good if not insane for charging in like that." Dustine noted./
"You did something similar recently." Nanoha chimed in.,
"Right right..." Dustine sighed.
"Maybe you should mentor Subaru?"
"They'd be a bad influence on each other."
"HEY!" Dustine pouted.
"Getting a tactical update... looks like enemy fighters are dropping off sharply." Nanoha noted.
"All right... one more big push and hopefully we'll be done," Yuuno suggested optimistically.
"Here's hoping." Dustine noted.
Macross Altered Destiny
Chapter 4
Milfune III. Milfune System.
10:00GST April 20th 2039AD
The SDFC-1 and its fleet orbited a semi blue green world which had Solnoid outposts, bases and small cities dotting the landscape.
"Wait..they're ONLY female?"
"Yup."
"Oh so like the Praxians?"
"Yeah. They might be related..."
"Huh."
"I won't be able to help much, on this world," Tenchi added
"Huh?"
"Well I've heard that the Solonoids don't like men much." Tenchi explained.
"What." Ryouko frowned. "Then why are we here?"
"Re-armament really and offloading a few praxian survivors."
"They'll tolerate us... they don't want to lose trade etc etc. But generally they'd rather work with women."
"Ah. OK, we'll keep the male staff away, then."
The fleet slowly approaches the blue green world and the swarm of solnoid ships that surround it. Ryouko whistled. "These ladies don't mess around. This is a full fleet here."
"We count 1200 ships in orbit." Kim Kabriov noted.
"Most ships also have weapon systems active," Vanessa noted
"That's odd..." Ryouko frowned.
"Very..." Ayeka nodded.
"We're being hailed by solnoid fleet command.
"On screen." Misa nodded.
Moments later a Lime green haired woman wearing a dark Solnoid uniform smiled grimly at Lisa "Greeting Concordia, I am Commander Lamidia Mckenzie. Sorry for the readiness of our fleet but we were expecting a pirate or alien raid of some kind. Your a sight for sore eyes."
"Glad to be here. I'm Captain Hayes..." Lisa nodded.
"We hear your low on supplies. Is this correct?" Lamidia McKenzie inquired.
"We are," Lisa agreed, "we're willing to trade for whatever we can."
"We'll make arrangements for you to meet with my supply officers." Lamidia nodded. "Also..."
"Also?" Lisa blinked.
"It occurred to me we could help each other. We have indications the Paranoid are setting up a forward base nearby... presumably to launch a attack here. But we can't launch a strike without risking weakening our planetary defenses."
"...and you want us to take out the forward base?" Lisa presumed.
"Actually we want you to provide escorts for our ships," Lamidia nodded. "Our ships will bombard the base while your fighters will provide additional cover."
"How many ships are you sending?" Misa asked.
"40." Lamidia nodded. "The paranoid defense fleet is 20 strong but they're hardened warriors."
"I'll have to check in with command about that." Misa admitted.
"Understandable. You do have a schedule to uphold." Lamidia nodded then added before she signed off. "My aide will provide any information you need for shore leave and such. Please, excuse me."
"Should we do shore leave again?" Claudia asked.
"The men can't go," Lisa noted.
"There's a men only area on the southern hemisphere. Its a series of islands that look like a tiger." Kim Kabriov noted. "Also there's a place for cohabiting visitors on the main island but its only the size of Seattle."
"I guess that'll have to do." Lisa sighed.
"We'll rotate the male crew down there..." Claudia noted.
"Very well." Lisa nodded. "Now if you excuse me I have to go talk to father about The Solnoid navy's request."
"Good luck," Claudia smiled
A short time later, Misa sat in her captains ready room waiting to speak to Admiral Hayes, her father. She tapped her right arm for a moment then smiled when her father's face appeared on the screen.
"Commodore," Admiral Hayes nodded.
"Hello Admiral Hayes." Lisa nodded. "I wish to report that we're near completion of the humanitarian mission."
"Good, good... any issues with the Solonoids?" he asked
"They're willing to rearm us but...in return they want us to strike a Paranoid base in the next system."
Admiral Hayes raised his eyebrows, "That's not exactly our problem..."
"It would generate a great deal of local good will. We need to consider long term relations after all," Misa countered
"True," Hayes conceded. "How many forces did they ask for?"
Two carriers ten escorts. and a few squads from our own ship." Lisa nodded.
Admiral Hayes sighed.
"We need to do this for diplomacy," he admitted. "Approved, but order the pilots to be careful. We can't afford losses."
"Yes sir..." Lisa nodded.
A day later...
"We're going where?" Dustine blinked.
"A small planetoid in the next system. We'ren't you paying attention in the briefing?" Nanoha frowned.
"Was dozing off." Dustine said sheepishly
"McCormick." Nanoha frowned.
"What? I had a busy night!"
"With the girls again?"
"Yeh." Dustine admitted.
"Still..."
"So whats the mission?" Dustine changed the subject.
"We're going to a planetoid held by Paranoid forces and attacking their base." Fate said.
"With a Solnoid Fleet division assisting, of course," Nanoha added
"Do we know how many ships we're facing?" Dustine asked
"At least 40 ships."
"Oof." Dustine grunted.
"We mostly will be defending the Solnoid ships. They'll be bombarding the planetoid." Nanoha explained.
"Going over the data from the Solnoids, we're pretty much on a even level with the Paranoid fighters," Fate mused
"I'd rather we had a huge advantage," Dustine admitted.
"Ditto," Nanoha agreed
"Have UN SPACY forces fought them yet?" Fate asked
Nanoha frowned, "Yes, but the initial reports were all automatically classified. We can't access them until the brass opens them up."
"WHY...?"
"Damn if I know. Procedures."
"Are their crab mechs shielded?" Dustine frowned.
"According to the Solnoids, no," Nanoha noted
"They are GODDAMN maneuverable, though," Fate noted as she read. "Don't get cocky."
"I'll try not to," Dustine grinned.
"Don't worry I'll be fine." Dustine smirked.
Fate grabbed her and then said firmly "I said don't get cocky."
"Please. These aren't the pirates." Nanoha noed.
"Um." Dustine looked at the two of them.
"Please!" Both pleaded as Misa and Kiyone walked by
"So you're awake for this lecture?" Misa teased
"You noticed, huh?" Dustine blushed
Misa just laughed.
"Best listen to your wing mates." Kiyone reminded her. "Don't want you dying out there either."
"Yes ma'am," Dustine saluted.
"At ease. Carry on..." Misa said as they walked off
"Yes ma'am," All three nodd and walk off
April 21st 2039AD
The next day, Nanoha's squadron flew over to a angular looking ship which looked a bit like the original SDF-1 but more compact and shrunken down. It had angular panels on its hull for the Solnoid high angled photon torpedo launchers and two heavily armored launch bays. They landed in the bays,disembarked their crafts and gathered their personal bags.
"Scepter squadron reporting for duty sir." Nanoha saluted a young woman with short hair...
"Welcome, Officer Takamachi," Eluza Valsova smiled warmly. "Has the rest of your squadron settled in?"
"Yes sir. They're all ready to go," Nanoha said.
"As I understand it your senior pilot overall?" Eluza asked asked.
"I'll keep a eye on my pilots," Nanoha agreed, "unofficially."
"You'll be working with Rabby. She's our ships airboss. " Eluza gestured to the silver haired woman who was wearing a white UN SPACY uniform.
"I look forward to working with you," Nanoha smiled politely.
"Same..." Rabby said with a polite smile then continued. "Your wing's current job is to protect this ship."
"Okay. What's the plan." Nanoha nodded, getting down to buisness.
"The plan is fairly simple," Rabby admitted then informed her, "there will be a squad or two to cover the solnoid ships while the others run defensive or intercept the paranoid drones."
"I like simple. Though of course no plan survives contact with the enemy." Nanoha sighed.
Meanwhile..
The next morning the Starleaf and its battlegroup maneuvered away from the UN SPACY expeditionary fleet. The battle-group of one heavy cruiser, two heavy destroyers, 10 frigates and two carriers sailed past their sister ships towards a gathering of 40 solnoid ships. There were at least 15 heavy cruisers, five heavy carriers and one Needle class battlecruiser.
"Solnoid battle-group dead ahead sir." Patty reported.
"Mmm." Eluza nodded.
"The Egret is hailing us, captain," Fumika Hamada noted from the comm station.
"On screen," Eluza ordered calmly.
"Greetings, Captain Eluza, I am Adrianne LaChalle commander of the Egret" Adrianne nodded. She had long dark blue hair and was wearing a standard solnoid captain's uniform. "This is my second, Captain Lynn Nobel. Welcome to Task force Theta, even if its a temporary measure.
"We're quite welcome." Eluza grinned then added. "We'll be forming up alongside your group shortly, Commander. What's the battle plan?"
"Send star-fighters and variable in to make coordinated strikes against the key paranoid ships." Lynn Nobel nodded. "Then we'll move in and bombard the paranoid base."
"Sounds like a plan...but we'll need to bombard the remainder of the ships too." Eluza nodded.
"Agreed." Adrianne nodded. "Helm send the targets coordinates to the Starleaf."
"Sending coordinates..." The helmswoman nodded.
"Received. Thank you." Miranda the Starleaf's helmswoman nodded. The ships moved into formation gracefully, then the readied to fold.
"Ready?" Eluza asked.
"Ready when you are," Adrianne nodded.
"Right." Eluza nodded and turned to his officers. "Prepare for fold out.
"Course laid in," nodded.
"See you on the other side," Adrianne nodded as her helmswoman, Cherry, was announcing that the solnoids drives, the G-Cancellors were charging up.
Their drives synced up even if their systems were different.
"So, will we all get there okay?" Eluza asked impishly. With that, the solnoid ships warped out with a flash of light and a whoosh. Moments later, the UN SPACY battle=group folded out of the system towards their destination.
Down below, Dustine was adjusting her flight gloves as she sait in her ready seat.
"When do we launch?" she asked as she checked the plan.
"As soon as we're in range of the base...which should be 5 hours after we fold out." Nanoha noted.
"What?!" Dustine blinked then frowned. "Then why am I in my suit now?"
"In case they have a battlegroup waiting for us?" Fate shrugged.
"Huh. Good point." Dustine nodded.
"Or automated system defences," another pilot added.
"Or we could be ambushed as soon as we fold in." A blonde haired pilot grinned at Dustine.
"Yeah, yeah," Dustine nodded, blinked then frowned. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
"Maybe in passing," The blonde grinned, pointed a thumb to herself then at her squadmates. The first had long black hair, the second, curly short hair, the third long brownish hair with a streak of pink in her hair and the fourth had her hair pulled into a short ponytail. "I'm Lufy with the 41st squadron. This is Shildy, my squad leader as well as Spea, Mary and Amy."
"Heya." Dustine nodded, gestured to herself and Nanoha and Fate. "I'm Dustine McCormick. I'm with Scepter Squadron and these are my friends Nanoha, Fate, Teana and Subaru."
"As well as some men," Shildy noted as she gestured to Yuuno and Jack Archer.
"Got a problem with that?" Jack asked.
"Not really. We have some New Belkan's here too...but they're beast men." Shildy shrugged.
"I'm fine with it." Spea nodded, glanced at Nanoha and then grinned. We've heard about the Ace of Wolf 435. 50 battle pods and a cruiser? All by yourself?"
"Well..." Nanoha scratched her cheek blushing.
"All by herself is stretching it..." Fate chuckled. "She had help."
"Yep." Dustine nodded.
"I see..." Spea nodded.
"These crazy ladies did something similiar against a zentradi monitor." Spea pointed at Lufy and Mary. "We had to follow them in against that monster."
"Hey it was gonna take out the Leaf..." Lufy retorted.
"Can't let it take out our home." Mary nodded as she laid an arm around Lufy.
"I see," Dustine grinned. "We gotta trade stories."
"Over a few cold ones maybe." Lufy winked.
"All pilots prepare for de-fold. I repeat all pilots prepare for de-fold." Rabby's voice called out over the commline.
"That's the cue." Nanoha nodded.
"Right." w minutes later, the UN SPACY battlegroup folded out infront of a planetoid cluster. The solnoid battle-group warped in next to the UN SPACY group minutes after that. Yellow alerts rang through outthe battle-groups as multiple paranoid ships were detected within the cluster.
The joint battlegroup advanced cautiously towards the planetoid cluster. The crews of both groups were on high alert as they advanced further in. A couple of paranoid battlegroups broke away from two
smaller planetoids and moved towards the joint battlegroup. Both sides crept closer and closer until the paranoid group stopped then warped out.
"What just happened?" Eluza blinked.
"I don't know... did they abandon the planetoid?" Patty frowned.
"Can we tell where they went?"
"Not with any precision."
"Then ignore it. We have a mission, lret's go ahead with it..."
"Still we don't know where they went..."
"True..."Eluza nodded. "Continue on course."
"Launch fighters, or wait until we're closer?"
"Hold on a bit longer..."
"Right."
When the time came the pilots unbuckled from their ready seats and trotted out to the hangar. Dustine watched as Lufy, Shildy, Spea and Catty step into their Vindicator variable noticed she was watching and gave her a thumbs up before climbing into her Vindicator. Dustine gave her a thumbs up back. As they did, Nanoha trotted up to Dustine and nudged her.
"What?" Dustine blinked.
"Lets go..."
"Ah right." Dustine nodded.
"Glad that your making friends though." Nanoha smiled.
"Yeah. Hope they make it out alright." Dustine sighed.
"They'll be fine," Nanoha sighed and looked at Dustine as they reached her fighter. "Just worry about yourself and be careful. These aren't pirates but they are a different breed of fighter. Okay."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Dustine sighed.
As they climbed into the cockpits, each pilot did the usual checks. At the same time, automated systems loaded missiles and other weapons.
Once done, Nanoha's and Fate's fighter were brought up to the cruisers catapults via launch arm. Magnets charged up within the hangar as Nanoha and Fate contacted the comm tower.
"Scepter one, ready to launch!"
"Scepter two, Ready!"
"Launch." Rabby nodded.
The launch arm released the fighter which was held in place by the magnets. Nanoha and Fate jammed the throttle forward and the fighters rocketed out of the starboard hangar bay.
Moments later, Dustine's and Yuuno's fighters were brought up the the catapults on the starboard side.
Lancer One, ready to launch," Dustine reported
"Scribe One, ready," Yuuno said
"Launch!" Rabby nodded.
Both fighters launched from the starboard hangar and followed after Nanoha and Fate. They formed up alongside them and flew with the squadron. The fighters surged towards
the main planetoid while the solnoid and unspacy groups slowly advanced. Solnoid wasp fighters had also launched from their respective carriers and surged towards the
planetoid alongside the UN SPACY fighters.
Paranoid drones which looked like crab like mechs left the U shaped organic paranoid ship in droves and surged towards the attackers.
"All right.. watch each other's backs! We have to screen the ships." Nanoha called out.
They swept into a wild dogfight, fighters wheeling about as gunpods fired.
"Roger that!" Fate, Dustine and Yuuno replied. Dustine swooped in behind a paranoid drone and blasted it with her gunpod. Dustine grinned then eeped when another drone
swept in and fired its cannon at her. She gerwalked out of the way to allow Yuuno to take it out.
"Watch your back," Yuuno scolded
"I knew you'd nail it," Dustine grinned. Yuuno sighed and the pair swept back into the small snarl of at least two dozen fighters battling paranoid drones. Some UN Spacy pilots switched to Gerwalk and Battloid modes, whichever they preferred for zero-gee dogfighting. Missiles corkscrewed through the void, exploding drones as bursts of energy weapons lanced across space.
Some drones were able to damage a few fighters and even down a few but the drones seemingly have met their match with the UN SPACY fighters.
"How is the base attack going?" Dustine wondered
Just as she asked that, the task force were moved into position. The UN SPACY ships guarded the Solnoid ships as they arranged themselves. As they did Eluza asked for a status report.
"How are we doing?" Eluza asked.
"Fighters are making a lot of headway against the base defenses." Rabby nodded then frowned. "The paranoids are using their standard tactics and patterns in battle."
"Keep an eye out for more jumps even short range jumps too." Eluza nodded. "Patty are we nearly in range to fire our weapons?"
"Just about." Patty nodded.
"Right, helm keep us steady." Eluza nodded.
"Yes ma'am," Miranda, a short blonde nodded. They moved to guard the solonoid ships, who opened up against the paranoid base & vessels.
As they did, some paranoid drones escaped the snarl and surged towards the battlegroups. When they got close, both battlegroups anti air guns lit up and fired a fullisade of flak out into space.
Eight drones broke through the frigate screen and headed straight for the Starleaf
"Fencer squadron intercept the drones!" Rabby barked as AA fire from destroids streaked past the conn towers windows.
"Roger!" Danielle responded as their fighters switched to gerwalk and blazed away at the drones.
"Make sure nothing gets through..our sisters need to focus on breeching the base defences." Rabby frowned.
"We know, we know..." Amane sighed as she sat at the second weapons panel. Outside, the destroids continued their anti air fire to keep the paranoid drones away. A fullisade of defensive missiles
launched as several more drones streaked in only to be destroyed by the missiles.
Meanwhile, the battle raged between the solnoid ships and the paranoid defensive fleet. Wasp and mosquito fighters launched their payloads at the u shaped paranoid ships often resulting in the ship
exploding.
At the same time, the Solnoid heavy carriers and Adrianne's ship fired volleys of laser and missile fire at the paranoid ships.
As the battle raged a paranoid adjutant turned to his hammer headed commander. "The enemy is pressing closer commander."
"Damn it. Prepare the main weapons on the station." Paranoid commander narrowed his eyes.
"Yes sir!"
"Power surge from the target planetoid." Catty blurted moments later.
"Deploy pinpoint barriers now!"
The UN Spacy ships weathered the assault. Several Solonoid ships weren't as lucky, the blast overloading their shields. The heavy beams blasted through the ships, ruining them instantly.
"Solonoid ships, retreat!" Eluza broadcast to the armada, "We'll cover you."
"Thank you." A captain replied. "Falling back."
"See if you can hail the Egret." Rabby looked over at the commtech.
"Yes ma'am." Fumika nodded and worked the controls. "We've got them."
"One screen." Eluze nodded. THe mainscreen switched from a battlefield to bridged bathed in red light. Adrianne was being dragged off and Lynn Nobel was taking command. "Starleaf what's
your status."
"We'e in a bad way." Lynn sighed. "Our commander has been knocked unconcious and our warp engine is offline. We're running on secondary reactors and are barely holding on."
"Get your ships out of range, we'll then reorganize," Seina said.
"Roger..." Eluza nodded.
"Lay down covering fire," Eluza ordered the UN Spacy ships, "we don't want the Paranoid taking advantage."
"Shall we have the fighter squadrons cover our retreat?" Rabby asked.
"Yes. But have them return and re arm." Seina nodded.
"Aye aye," Rabby agreed
"It looks like the Paranoid are also pulling back..." another noted
"Their priority might be just protecting the base," Eluza mused. "Are we out of range from that megaweapon of theirs.
"Hopefully..." Patty sighed.
"Keep an eye on it," Seina ordered. With that the ships retreated from the planetoids to a waypoint far away from the planetoid group.
Six hours later...
"So how is it?" Eluza asked the remaining captains..
"Well, we're still here," one captain noted wryly.
"Repairs are going smoothly...but it'll take tim." Another captain noted.
"We still have to get our G-Cancellor back online." Lynn Nobel noted.
"Same." A few other captains nodded.
"So... do we carry on, or return to base?" Eluza felt obligated to ask.
"We should contact regional HQ," a younger, by the book officer suggested.
"Its not that far but the message could be delayed by a few hours." Eluza frowned.
"We could use the time for repairs."
"Point..."
"Alright send the message..." Eluza nodded.
"Um..."
"What?"
"Our comms are knocked out too." The young captain noted.
"So are ours." Another captain noted. A few more reported the same.
"How..." Rabby asked off screen.
"Hm..." Eluza thought a moment.
"The paranoid know our ships... it was a directed EMP that blew our communications arrays." one of the techs noted
"Luckily UN Spacy uses different designs," Pony nodded.
"Cherry run a check on our comms too." Lynn nodded
"Right..." Cherry nodded and tried a few controls at the helm of the ship "...nope. We're dead too."
"Alright What message should we send?" Eluza noted.
"Tell them we've met some heavy resistance and that the planetoid base has a super weapon. Ask for further instructions." Eluza noted.
"Shouldn't we ask if we should retreat?" A captain suggested.
"And casualties, damage reports?"
"That too." Eluza nodded.
"Hmm. Okay we'll report the following including the casualties and damage reports while your ships being repaired." Eluza agreed.
"Thank you." Lynn nodded.
EOF