Lt. Neal couldn't believe his team's luck. Not only had they infiltrated the colony completely unnoticed in their Guar mobile suits, but also the dock where that new Rep ship was moored was not more than a half-mile from their position.
"I love my job sometimes."
Neal loaded a large canister into his rifle's secondary barrel. Cocking the rifle as his Guar kneeled on the ground, he aimed at the docks.
"Sir, you've got one shot at this before they discover us."
"I know that, Yeager. You guys just stay put until I fire, then we'll storm the castle. Yeager, you and Shade are the key here."
"Yes sir."
Neal concentrated on the task at hand. Finding the bunker where the defense guns probably were situated at, he fired the rocket-propelled grenade.
It took less than five seconds for the bunker to explode in a massive chain reaction as the ammunition in the building cooked off from the grenade.
"Okay, let's go!"
The four red Guars burst out of the forest, bee-lining for the ship-docks.
---
The explosion grabbed everyone's attention in the docks. Emiko was the first to voice a reaction.
"Wha… what was THAT!?"
Westa clenched her hands around the clipboard.
"Dammit. It's the Combine. Rachel, you and your friends, get on the ship. The nearest shelter is too far from here. If anyone asks, tell them it's by my order."
"What about you, Mom?"
"I've got to get the dock workers to safety too. Hurry!"
Rachel, Gustav and Emiko ran to the door leading into the ship Westa stared after them, before she took charge of the growing chaos in the docks.
---
On the Bridge of the Unity, Captain Galun Lufas was standing in front of his command chair, barking out orders.
"Ra Mira Luna! Contact Lieutenant Ramsad and tell him to deploy in the Drays! Haruto, how many Combine MS are there!?"
As the operator got in contact with the MS commander, Haruto Langra checked his own sensors.
"We've got four enemy contacts, Captain! All Guar-types!"
Galun gave a low growl. Typical. The Combine would attack when they were docked in an isolated colony. He'd told his superiors that fact, but they'd forced him to go through with this. Now the inhabitants of this colony would suffer the consequences.
---
As Rachel reached the door, two men in Republic pilot suits rushed out, almost knocking her over. She watched as they ran to the two Drays, and took the lifts up to the cockpits. Gustav looked worried.
"That's not gonna be enough. I saw at least four Guars out there… and they're stronger than Drays."
Emiko pulled on his arm.
"Come on, these guys know what they're doing. Let's get inside!"
"Okay…"
The three entered the ship. Rachel paused to look back as the two MS marched out of the hangar. Gustav and Emiko were headed further into the ship and to safety, so impulsively Rachel turned around and went back out into the hangar. She didn't understand fully why she wanted to go back out there. All she knew was that "something" told her she needed to do this…
---
Inside the first Dray, a dark-skinned man with short-cropped hair spoke into his headset.
"This is Lieutenant Ramsad. We're moving to intercept."
Ra Mira's voice came back over the comm.
"Understood, Lieutenant. You've got four Guars out there. Be careful."
"Right. Mark, let's stick together and take them out one by one."
"Yes Sir!"
The two Drays, with 110mm machineguns in hand, charged at the nearest Guar. The enemy pilot noticed them, and jetted backwards, while he fired his rifle in response.
---
Galun sat back down in his chair. He turned to Ra Mira.
"Lt. Luna, have the other two pilots returned from the city yet?"
Ra Mira checked. She faced Galun with a shake of her head.
"Not yet. Lt. Kramer called in that they were heading back just a minute ago."
---
Rachel climbed the ladder up to the catwalk that ran between the Gundams. Nobody stopped her, for the hangar was nearly empty. Only two workers remained, and they were busy watching the battle outside. Reaching the top, she turned to look out at the ongoing battle. The two Drays had descended upon a hapless Guar, and were quickly overpowering it. The leader dodged a clumsy shot from the Guar, and rushed in to plunge his hard saber into the cockpit.
---
Lt. JG Ernest Yeager saw the two Drays counterattacking, but he was too far to help when they killed his squad-mate.
"Nicholas!"
The second occupant in his Guar grabbed his arm before he did something rash.
"Ernest, it's too late! Let's hurry to the docks and get those new mobile suits. Neal can take care of this."
"Ngggh… Right, Lanarow. Get ready to get out once I land close enough."
Ernest continued on to the docks, as Lt. Neal and the other remaining Guar engaged the two Drays.
---
As Gustav hurried down the corridor with Emiko, he noticed something strange. He could only hear two pairs of footsteps. He turned back and realized with trepidation that Rachel was no longer with them.
"Oh, no. She didn't."
Emiko quickly caught on to what Gustav was saying.
"You don't think she went back to do… THAT?"
Gustav looked around, and found a lift nearby.
"Let's head up to the observation deck. We can see what's going on from there."
The two got in the lift, and Gustav hit the button to take them up.
---
In the second Dray, Ensign Mark Gilder faced off with one of the Guars as Lt. Ramsad dealt with the leader.
"Keep it together, Mark. One-on-one. You're good at this."
The Guar raised its rifle and fired. Mark blocked the shot with the forearm shield, and returned fire with his machinegun. He grinned in satisfaction as the shots peppered the Guar legs.
"Come on, give me a challenge!"
---
Ramsad charged, hard saber at ready. The leader Guar, its own plasma sword drawn, parried Ramsad's first slash. Sidestepping to the right, Ramsad made another slash, low, but it was also blocked by the Guar.
In response, the Guar activated its thrusters to go slightly up and come down hard with the plasma sword. Ramsad raised his saber and blocked, but the impact knocked him off balance.
"Shit!"
The Guar didn't pause a second, and spun to lop off the Dray's left forearm. Ramsad attempted to compensate, and turned to face his opponent. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
The last Guar was headed for the docks.
"Captain! You've got…!"
Ramsad was cut off out as the Guar blew his cockpit apart with its rifle.
---
Neal sneered as he kicked over the now-dead Dray.
"Don't trust your opponent to fight fairly, Rep."
He looked over as Ernest's Guar landed next to the docks.
"Excellent."
As he turned his attention to the last Dray, he noticed something. A military vehicle was speeding towards the docks. Neal grinned sadistically as he locked-on to the little jeep and fired.
---
"Lieutenant!"
Mark was in a bad situation. Two Guars were actively hostile and near him, and the third was near the docks: obviously after the Gundams. Facing the two Guars, Mark started to jet backwards, raining suppression fire on the two Combine MS.
"Come on, come on!"
He wondered if Kramer and Toshiro had managed to get back to the ship.
---
Rachel gasped in surprise as the Guar landed right in front of the docks. The two military workers, realizing what was going on, drew their handguns and took cover, while Rachel ran towards one of the Gundams to hide.
"This doesn't look very good…"
---
Ernest stopped the Guar, and popped the hatch. Lanarow headed out first with the assault rifle, and Ernest joined him quickly, holding a handgun.
"See anyone?"
"I saw two dockworkers. They were wearing military-issue uniforms, though."
"Probably guards. Keep behind cover, and head for the MS on the right, I'll take the left."
"Right."
The two Combine soldiers headed for the Unity's hangar.
---
"Captain, I've lost contact with Lt. Ramsad. I've also lost contact with Lt. Kramer."
Galun balled his hands into fists.
"Bloody hell. What else can go wrong?"
Ra Mira blanched as she listened in on her headset.
"Captain… we've got intruders in the hangar. They're after the Gundams!"
"…****. Get a security team down there now!!"
"Sir!"
---
The guards opened fire as Ernest neared a large container. He ducked and rolled behind it as he snapped off two quick return shots.
"Lanarow! Heads up!"
Lanarow was taking cover by a lift-fork. He peeked over the lever-board as he saw one of the guards stand and fire at Ernest. Without hesitation, he gunned down the guard before ducking down again.
"Ernest, we've gotta hurry! They're probably sending a security team down!"
---
Rachel reached the white and purple Gundam when she turned and saw the first guard had been killed. She gasped involuntarily.
"Oh god…"
Shaken by actually seeing someone getting killed in front of her, she fumbled at the lift controls before she hit the UP button to bring the lift up to her.
"Please hurry…"
---
Ernest dashed out from behind the container and headed for the doors of the hangar. Lanarow ran out to follow, spraying cover fire at the last guard.
But, he was too slow. The second guard managed to squeeze off a shot before Lanarow's bullets tore through him. Lanarow saw Ernest stumble and keel over.
"Ernest!!"
Dropping the rifle, he rushed to his friend's side. He saw that the bullet had taken him in the side. Ernest groaned.
"Damn, that hurts…"
"Shit, man. How bad does it hurt? It doesn't like it hit anything vital…"
"It hurts, but I think I can deal with it…"
Lanarow looked up and around. None of the Republic soldiers had arrived, yet. But, he noticed the lift for one of the MS was moving up.
"Get back to the Guar, Ernest. I'll take one of these new suits, and I'll destroy the other one."
"Neal won't be happy about that."
Lanarow helped Ernest to his feet as the latter pulled a gauze patch from one of his suit pockets and applied it to his wound; the blood immediately began to slowly seep through.
"Neither would he be happy to know his best wingman got gunned down by a damn dock worker! Now, go!"
Seeing that Ernest was able to stand and walk on his own, Lanarow turned and headed for the two Republic mobile suits. He reached the lift, and punched the UP button. Looking over at the other mobile suit, he saw someone stepping onto the lift from the catwalk that ran behind and between the mobile suits.
"I knew it…"
He drew his handgun, and clicked off the safety.
---
Rachel stepped onto the lift as it reached her. She turned and pressed the DOWN button to take the lift down to the cockpit of the Gundam. It reached the cockpit quickly, and she reached over and pressed the button to open the cockpit hatch. Luckily, the unlock code seemed to have already been put in by one of the workers, else Rachel would have been in some serious trouble.
As the hatch opened, she heard a click sound behind her.
"Freeze."
Barely registering the word, Rachel spun and found herself facing a young man, not much older than herself, standing on the other lift and training a small handgun on her. He was wearing a black and red Combine pilot suit, and his large green eyes peered at her from underneath his brown bangs and gray bandanna.
"The hell… you're no Republic soldier."
Rachel narrowed her eyes.
"So? I'm not just going to stand here and let you people attack my home!"
---
Lanarow grit his teeth as he reached over to open the other suit's hatch.
"This is war, dammit! Shit happens! Deal with it!"
The civilian girl turned away from him, and began to climb into the cockpit. She looked over her shoulder.
"This is how I'm dealing with it."
Lanarow pulled back the hammer on the gun, even though he felt that he couldn't pull the trigger.
"Don't make me shoot you!"
Suddenly, he heard several gunshots, and bullets ricocheted off the two mobile suits.
"Stop right there, Commie scum!"
Lanarow leapt into the cockpit of the second mobile suit without hesitation, as the security team that just arrived fired again. He closed the hatch as he sat in the pilot seat, and started up the systems.
"Dammit. Now I'm probably going to have to kill her. And she was cute, too…"
He glanced at the status screen and read the model number of the mobile suit.
"ERMG-02-C Gundam Crusade. Heh. Crusade. How fitting."
---
Diving into the Gundam, Rachel slapped the hatch button, closing it.
"Crap. They probably think I'm one of the rebels!"
She adjusted herself in the seat, and started up the Gundam. She examined the status screen as the model number ran across.
"ERMG-01-U Unity Gundam… like the ship…"
---
Both Gundams began moving at almost the same time. The security team leader, knowing their weapons couldn't do anything, called in on his radio as his men took cover.
"Bridge! Both Gundams have been hijacked! I repeat! Both Gundams have been hijacked! Over!"
---
Episode Two, Complete
"I love my job sometimes."
Neal loaded a large canister into his rifle's secondary barrel. Cocking the rifle as his Guar kneeled on the ground, he aimed at the docks.
"Sir, you've got one shot at this before they discover us."
"I know that, Yeager. You guys just stay put until I fire, then we'll storm the castle. Yeager, you and Shade are the key here."
"Yes sir."
Neal concentrated on the task at hand. Finding the bunker where the defense guns probably were situated at, he fired the rocket-propelled grenade.
It took less than five seconds for the bunker to explode in a massive chain reaction as the ammunition in the building cooked off from the grenade.
"Okay, let's go!"
The four red Guars burst out of the forest, bee-lining for the ship-docks.
---
The explosion grabbed everyone's attention in the docks. Emiko was the first to voice a reaction.
"Wha… what was THAT!?"
Westa clenched her hands around the clipboard.
"Dammit. It's the Combine. Rachel, you and your friends, get on the ship. The nearest shelter is too far from here. If anyone asks, tell them it's by my order."
"What about you, Mom?"
"I've got to get the dock workers to safety too. Hurry!"
Rachel, Gustav and Emiko ran to the door leading into the ship Westa stared after them, before she took charge of the growing chaos in the docks.
---
On the Bridge of the Unity, Captain Galun Lufas was standing in front of his command chair, barking out orders.
"Ra Mira Luna! Contact Lieutenant Ramsad and tell him to deploy in the Drays! Haruto, how many Combine MS are there!?"
As the operator got in contact with the MS commander, Haruto Langra checked his own sensors.
"We've got four enemy contacts, Captain! All Guar-types!"
Galun gave a low growl. Typical. The Combine would attack when they were docked in an isolated colony. He'd told his superiors that fact, but they'd forced him to go through with this. Now the inhabitants of this colony would suffer the consequences.
---
As Rachel reached the door, two men in Republic pilot suits rushed out, almost knocking her over. She watched as they ran to the two Drays, and took the lifts up to the cockpits. Gustav looked worried.
"That's not gonna be enough. I saw at least four Guars out there… and they're stronger than Drays."
Emiko pulled on his arm.
"Come on, these guys know what they're doing. Let's get inside!"
"Okay…"
The three entered the ship. Rachel paused to look back as the two MS marched out of the hangar. Gustav and Emiko were headed further into the ship and to safety, so impulsively Rachel turned around and went back out into the hangar. She didn't understand fully why she wanted to go back out there. All she knew was that "something" told her she needed to do this…
---
Inside the first Dray, a dark-skinned man with short-cropped hair spoke into his headset.
"This is Lieutenant Ramsad. We're moving to intercept."
Ra Mira's voice came back over the comm.
"Understood, Lieutenant. You've got four Guars out there. Be careful."
"Right. Mark, let's stick together and take them out one by one."
"Yes Sir!"
The two Drays, with 110mm machineguns in hand, charged at the nearest Guar. The enemy pilot noticed them, and jetted backwards, while he fired his rifle in response.
---
Galun sat back down in his chair. He turned to Ra Mira.
"Lt. Luna, have the other two pilots returned from the city yet?"
Ra Mira checked. She faced Galun with a shake of her head.
"Not yet. Lt. Kramer called in that they were heading back just a minute ago."
---
Rachel climbed the ladder up to the catwalk that ran between the Gundams. Nobody stopped her, for the hangar was nearly empty. Only two workers remained, and they were busy watching the battle outside. Reaching the top, she turned to look out at the ongoing battle. The two Drays had descended upon a hapless Guar, and were quickly overpowering it. The leader dodged a clumsy shot from the Guar, and rushed in to plunge his hard saber into the cockpit.
---
Lt. JG Ernest Yeager saw the two Drays counterattacking, but he was too far to help when they killed his squad-mate.
"Nicholas!"
The second occupant in his Guar grabbed his arm before he did something rash.
"Ernest, it's too late! Let's hurry to the docks and get those new mobile suits. Neal can take care of this."
"Ngggh… Right, Lanarow. Get ready to get out once I land close enough."
Ernest continued on to the docks, as Lt. Neal and the other remaining Guar engaged the two Drays.
---
As Gustav hurried down the corridor with Emiko, he noticed something strange. He could only hear two pairs of footsteps. He turned back and realized with trepidation that Rachel was no longer with them.
"Oh, no. She didn't."
Emiko quickly caught on to what Gustav was saying.
"You don't think she went back to do… THAT?"
Gustav looked around, and found a lift nearby.
"Let's head up to the observation deck. We can see what's going on from there."
The two got in the lift, and Gustav hit the button to take them up.
---
In the second Dray, Ensign Mark Gilder faced off with one of the Guars as Lt. Ramsad dealt with the leader.
"Keep it together, Mark. One-on-one. You're good at this."
The Guar raised its rifle and fired. Mark blocked the shot with the forearm shield, and returned fire with his machinegun. He grinned in satisfaction as the shots peppered the Guar legs.
"Come on, give me a challenge!"
---
Ramsad charged, hard saber at ready. The leader Guar, its own plasma sword drawn, parried Ramsad's first slash. Sidestepping to the right, Ramsad made another slash, low, but it was also blocked by the Guar.
In response, the Guar activated its thrusters to go slightly up and come down hard with the plasma sword. Ramsad raised his saber and blocked, but the impact knocked him off balance.
"Shit!"
The Guar didn't pause a second, and spun to lop off the Dray's left forearm. Ramsad attempted to compensate, and turned to face his opponent. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
The last Guar was headed for the docks.
"Captain! You've got…!"
Ramsad was cut off out as the Guar blew his cockpit apart with its rifle.
---
Neal sneered as he kicked over the now-dead Dray.
"Don't trust your opponent to fight fairly, Rep."
He looked over as Ernest's Guar landed next to the docks.
"Excellent."
As he turned his attention to the last Dray, he noticed something. A military vehicle was speeding towards the docks. Neal grinned sadistically as he locked-on to the little jeep and fired.
---
"Lieutenant!"
Mark was in a bad situation. Two Guars were actively hostile and near him, and the third was near the docks: obviously after the Gundams. Facing the two Guars, Mark started to jet backwards, raining suppression fire on the two Combine MS.
"Come on, come on!"
He wondered if Kramer and Toshiro had managed to get back to the ship.
---
Rachel gasped in surprise as the Guar landed right in front of the docks. The two military workers, realizing what was going on, drew their handguns and took cover, while Rachel ran towards one of the Gundams to hide.
"This doesn't look very good…"
---
Ernest stopped the Guar, and popped the hatch. Lanarow headed out first with the assault rifle, and Ernest joined him quickly, holding a handgun.
"See anyone?"
"I saw two dockworkers. They were wearing military-issue uniforms, though."
"Probably guards. Keep behind cover, and head for the MS on the right, I'll take the left."
"Right."
The two Combine soldiers headed for the Unity's hangar.
---
"Captain, I've lost contact with Lt. Ramsad. I've also lost contact with Lt. Kramer."
Galun balled his hands into fists.
"Bloody hell. What else can go wrong?"
Ra Mira blanched as she listened in on her headset.
"Captain… we've got intruders in the hangar. They're after the Gundams!"
"…****. Get a security team down there now!!"
"Sir!"
---
The guards opened fire as Ernest neared a large container. He ducked and rolled behind it as he snapped off two quick return shots.
"Lanarow! Heads up!"
Lanarow was taking cover by a lift-fork. He peeked over the lever-board as he saw one of the guards stand and fire at Ernest. Without hesitation, he gunned down the guard before ducking down again.
"Ernest, we've gotta hurry! They're probably sending a security team down!"
---
Rachel reached the white and purple Gundam when she turned and saw the first guard had been killed. She gasped involuntarily.
"Oh god…"
Shaken by actually seeing someone getting killed in front of her, she fumbled at the lift controls before she hit the UP button to bring the lift up to her.
"Please hurry…"
---
Ernest dashed out from behind the container and headed for the doors of the hangar. Lanarow ran out to follow, spraying cover fire at the last guard.
But, he was too slow. The second guard managed to squeeze off a shot before Lanarow's bullets tore through him. Lanarow saw Ernest stumble and keel over.
"Ernest!!"
Dropping the rifle, he rushed to his friend's side. He saw that the bullet had taken him in the side. Ernest groaned.
"Damn, that hurts…"
"Shit, man. How bad does it hurt? It doesn't like it hit anything vital…"
"It hurts, but I think I can deal with it…"
Lanarow looked up and around. None of the Republic soldiers had arrived, yet. But, he noticed the lift for one of the MS was moving up.
"Get back to the Guar, Ernest. I'll take one of these new suits, and I'll destroy the other one."
"Neal won't be happy about that."
Lanarow helped Ernest to his feet as the latter pulled a gauze patch from one of his suit pockets and applied it to his wound; the blood immediately began to slowly seep through.
"Neither would he be happy to know his best wingman got gunned down by a damn dock worker! Now, go!"
Seeing that Ernest was able to stand and walk on his own, Lanarow turned and headed for the two Republic mobile suits. He reached the lift, and punched the UP button. Looking over at the other mobile suit, he saw someone stepping onto the lift from the catwalk that ran behind and between the mobile suits.
"I knew it…"
He drew his handgun, and clicked off the safety.
---
Rachel stepped onto the lift as it reached her. She turned and pressed the DOWN button to take the lift down to the cockpit of the Gundam. It reached the cockpit quickly, and she reached over and pressed the button to open the cockpit hatch. Luckily, the unlock code seemed to have already been put in by one of the workers, else Rachel would have been in some serious trouble.
As the hatch opened, she heard a click sound behind her.
"Freeze."
Barely registering the word, Rachel spun and found herself facing a young man, not much older than herself, standing on the other lift and training a small handgun on her. He was wearing a black and red Combine pilot suit, and his large green eyes peered at her from underneath his brown bangs and gray bandanna.
"The hell… you're no Republic soldier."
Rachel narrowed her eyes.
"So? I'm not just going to stand here and let you people attack my home!"
---
Lanarow grit his teeth as he reached over to open the other suit's hatch.
"This is war, dammit! Shit happens! Deal with it!"
The civilian girl turned away from him, and began to climb into the cockpit. She looked over her shoulder.
"This is how I'm dealing with it."
Lanarow pulled back the hammer on the gun, even though he felt that he couldn't pull the trigger.
"Don't make me shoot you!"
Suddenly, he heard several gunshots, and bullets ricocheted off the two mobile suits.
"Stop right there, Commie scum!"
Lanarow leapt into the cockpit of the second mobile suit without hesitation, as the security team that just arrived fired again. He closed the hatch as he sat in the pilot seat, and started up the systems.
"Dammit. Now I'm probably going to have to kill her. And she was cute, too…"
He glanced at the status screen and read the model number of the mobile suit.
"ERMG-02-C Gundam Crusade. Heh. Crusade. How fitting."
---
Diving into the Gundam, Rachel slapped the hatch button, closing it.
"Crap. They probably think I'm one of the rebels!"
She adjusted herself in the seat, and started up the Gundam. She examined the status screen as the model number ran across.
"ERMG-01-U Unity Gundam… like the ship…"
---
Both Gundams began moving at almost the same time. The security team leader, knowing their weapons couldn't do anything, called in on his radio as his men took cover.
"Bridge! Both Gundams have been hijacked! I repeat! Both Gundams have been hijacked! Over!"
---
Episode Two, Complete