The Mayfly of Space
By Seraphilim
Copyright Note: I don't own Gundam, or anything related to it, except for the characters, objects, situations, and ideas of mine creation in this work of fiction.
Revision Notes: I've noticed one major problem in this fiction. The odd rank system. I've discovered that that part was utterly pointless. All five current chapters will be revised to change all ranking to standard US rank systems, utilizing Army/Air force/Marine for where those apply, and Navy for EFF space and naval divisions.
There will be a few other changes. Alexander's name will be simply Alexander Krauser, without the middle name. The cryptic "Icelia" will change slightly.
I hope all you readers can bear with me as I continue to make this fiction into the best possible I can manage.
Chapter 1 - Second Chance
U.C. 0083
Operation Stardust
Earth Orbit
Life is like a house of cards. With each action, thought, and experience, life builds upon itself. But, always remember that, like the house of cards, life can just as easily come crashing down around you.
That was one of many thoughts running through Lt. Colonel Cima Garahau's mind as she witnessed the destruction of her flagship, the Lili Marlene, right before her eyes. Her home for the last four years was gone, just like that. All of her men aboard the ship, including the ones now dying around her, were meeting the same fate as their home colony of Mahal. She'd lost everything. She glared down at the exploding hulk of metal.
"Dammit, I warned you...!"
While her words carried her usual attitude of command and authority over her men, the tone of her voice was deadened. She continued gazing down at the blossoming explosion, and her hard gaze loosened, as her eyes glossed over slightly.
"I suppose... this is it."
Shaking her head slowly, Cima sighed, wearily. "I thought I'd lost everything four years ago. But, I took what I still had for granted, and now I truly have nothing. So, I'll fight. I'll fight a real battle this time, no holding back. This is what you wanted, right? Is this what you wanted!?"
She screamed in rage. If she was going down, Cima Garahau would take as many others with her as she could on her trip to Hell. She gripped the control sticks tightly, and began to search with her eyes for that white mobile armor through tears that dared to flow.
"Miss Cima!"
With a skip in her heartbeat, Cima snapped her view forward, her expression of disbelief obvious. A Gelgoog Marine Commander floated in space before her. Behind it, three standard Gelgoog-Ms were engaged with several Rick Dom IIs. She noticed the gray-on-dark red color scheme of these Gelgoogs, and a smile, not a smirk or sneer, but a genuine smile, grew on her face. Perhaps she still had some cards left to build with.
"Major Alex..."
"Alive and well, Ma'am. The Vagabonds are ready at your command."
The Vagabonds. They were of the elite of the Cima Fleet. Unlike most fleet commanders, Cima refused to keep her best pilots on her own ship (that's what she was for), but rather on her forward strike ship, the Musai "Fenrir Rose," where their piloting skills could most easily be utilized. Despite usually being in the thick of battle, the Fenrir Rose always came out unscathed thanks to the Vagabonds.
A gleam formed in Cima's eyes.
"Alex! The Rose! Is it...?"
Alexander Krauser's face on the monitor gave a little grin, the small scar on his chin stretching a bit with his mouth.
"Still in one piece! Captain Tirgell has it idling in a debris field two kilometers from here."
As the other Vagabonds eliminated the last of the Doms, one of Alex's men cut in on the communication.
"Sir, the Delaz Fleet is advancing towards the Federation ships. That puts them between us and the Fenrir Rose."
"Damn. Rick, you and the others keep watch. I've gotta figure out a plan."
"No problem."
Cima could see several green Musais and a Pazoc floating in the distance, the remnants of the Delaz Fleet.
"Alex, are any of my other ships still alive?"
"Not sure, Miss Cima. We got contacted by the Wild Osprey a few minutes ago, but the comm channels have been quiet since then."
Her eyes still on Delaz's followers, Cima spotted the white bastard who'd destroyed her Lili Marlene. The giant white mobile armor was tearing through the Zeon forces, demolishing anything and everything in its path.
"All right, let's pull out! Get back to the Rose! You lag behind, then you're on your own. You die, then go to Hell!"
This earned Cima a chorus of acknowledgments. She allowed a predatory smile to creep onto her face.
"And if you find anything Zeon in your way, feel free to destroy it. Let's move!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The group of five mobile suits ignited their thrusters, and blasted off towards the Rose. Alex opened a comm with his squad.
"Okay, let's give Miss Cima a clear path! Time to 'part the sea!'"
"Got it!"
The four Gelgoog Marines blazed forth, raining deadly fire upon anyone foolish enough to stray into their path. Cima's red Gerbera Tetra brought up the rear, finishing off any "leftovers."
But, as fate would have it, Cima Garahau and 1st Lieutenant Kou Uraki would cross paths yet again. The Dendrobium lay before the small group, just finishing off two of Delaz's Rick Dom IIs with a shot from its mega beam cannon. Cima, realizing somehow that this was the same pilot she had fought before, charged forth in her Gerbera Tetra, anger clouding her judgment. She ignored Alex's warnings to stay away from the mobile armor, and fired her beam machinegun at the giant.
"You again, you white bastard! Whose side are you on anyways!?"
She grinned viciously as the beam machinegun tore chunks out of the Gundam mobile armor. She gave a crazed laugh, but then she gasped in shock as the massive Dendrobium made a wrenching turn and impaled the Gerbera on the tip of the mega beam cannon.
With a powerful jerk, Cima flew forward in her restraints; she could feel something give in her left shoulder. Her helmet's faceplate spidered, and she cried out in pain, and at what she knew was to come.
But, the universe wasn't yet ready to let Cima Garahau die.
"Cima!!!"
Activating full thrust, Alex blasted forward at the two combaters, and managed to slam his knuckle shield into the GP03's cannon right before it fired. With baited breath, Alex saw the red-white stream of Minovsky Particles tear through the lower half of the Gerbera, sending the upper half careening off into open space.
"Miss Cima! Come in! Do you read me!? CIMA!"
As the Dendrobium, its pilot's attention elsewhere, flew away, Alex rushed towards the remains of the Gerbera Tetra, with the other Vagabonds close behind.
"Cima! Please, answer me!"
"..."
The comm line was still open! With desperate hope, Alex stopped his Marine Commander next to the wreckage and opened his cockpit hatch. He climbed out, and pushed off towards the Gerbera's cockpit. He grabbed the manual hatch release, and pulled as hard as he possibly could. With a slow, deliberate scrape of metal against metal, the locks popped out and the hatch opened.
Inside, he saw that everything electronic in the Gerbera's cockpit was literally blown apart, probably from the immense power surge from the mega beam cannon. Amidst all of the shorted wires and broken panels, the lone occupant was slumped in the pilot seat, her face invisible in the darkness.
"Cima...!"
Alex almost ripped out the restraints as he pulled his commander from the cockpit. He noted that her shoulder was dislocated, and tried to not upset it. Checking her over as well as he could, he breathed a massive sigh of relief when he noticed her chest still rising and lowering, albeit slowly.
"Thank God. Guys, she's alive! She's hurt though, so let's get back to the Rose, ASAP!"
"Yes sir!"
Pushing off the now derelict Gerbera Tetra, Alex floated back to his mobile suit. Her looked down at his commander's now serene, yet somewhat tragic, face. Even after all the hell she'd been through, she still retained a great deal of the beauty nature graced her with. He smiled as he entered the Gelgoog's cockpit.
"Cima. You'll be safe very soon."
Closing the hatch, Alex held Cima in his arms as he managed to get the restraints on both of them. It was going to be a little tough to fly like this, but he had been in worse situations. He ignited the thrusters, and flew with the other Vagabonds back to their ship.
End Chapter 1
By Seraphilim
Copyright Note: I don't own Gundam, or anything related to it, except for the characters, objects, situations, and ideas of mine creation in this work of fiction.
Revision Notes: I've noticed one major problem in this fiction. The odd rank system. I've discovered that that part was utterly pointless. All five current chapters will be revised to change all ranking to standard US rank systems, utilizing Army/Air force/Marine for where those apply, and Navy for EFF space and naval divisions.
There will be a few other changes. Alexander's name will be simply Alexander Krauser, without the middle name. The cryptic "Icelia" will change slightly.
I hope all you readers can bear with me as I continue to make this fiction into the best possible I can manage.
Chapter 1 - Second Chance
U.C. 0083
Operation Stardust
Earth Orbit
Life is like a house of cards. With each action, thought, and experience, life builds upon itself. But, always remember that, like the house of cards, life can just as easily come crashing down around you.
That was one of many thoughts running through Lt. Colonel Cima Garahau's mind as she witnessed the destruction of her flagship, the Lili Marlene, right before her eyes. Her home for the last four years was gone, just like that. All of her men aboard the ship, including the ones now dying around her, were meeting the same fate as their home colony of Mahal. She'd lost everything. She glared down at the exploding hulk of metal.
"Dammit, I warned you...!"
While her words carried her usual attitude of command and authority over her men, the tone of her voice was deadened. She continued gazing down at the blossoming explosion, and her hard gaze loosened, as her eyes glossed over slightly.
"I suppose... this is it."
Shaking her head slowly, Cima sighed, wearily. "I thought I'd lost everything four years ago. But, I took what I still had for granted, and now I truly have nothing. So, I'll fight. I'll fight a real battle this time, no holding back. This is what you wanted, right? Is this what you wanted!?"
She screamed in rage. If she was going down, Cima Garahau would take as many others with her as she could on her trip to Hell. She gripped the control sticks tightly, and began to search with her eyes for that white mobile armor through tears that dared to flow.
"Miss Cima!"
With a skip in her heartbeat, Cima snapped her view forward, her expression of disbelief obvious. A Gelgoog Marine Commander floated in space before her. Behind it, three standard Gelgoog-Ms were engaged with several Rick Dom IIs. She noticed the gray-on-dark red color scheme of these Gelgoogs, and a smile, not a smirk or sneer, but a genuine smile, grew on her face. Perhaps she still had some cards left to build with.
"Major Alex..."
"Alive and well, Ma'am. The Vagabonds are ready at your command."
The Vagabonds. They were of the elite of the Cima Fleet. Unlike most fleet commanders, Cima refused to keep her best pilots on her own ship (that's what she was for), but rather on her forward strike ship, the Musai "Fenrir Rose," where their piloting skills could most easily be utilized. Despite usually being in the thick of battle, the Fenrir Rose always came out unscathed thanks to the Vagabonds.
A gleam formed in Cima's eyes.
"Alex! The Rose! Is it...?"
Alexander Krauser's face on the monitor gave a little grin, the small scar on his chin stretching a bit with his mouth.
"Still in one piece! Captain Tirgell has it idling in a debris field two kilometers from here."
As the other Vagabonds eliminated the last of the Doms, one of Alex's men cut in on the communication.
"Sir, the Delaz Fleet is advancing towards the Federation ships. That puts them between us and the Fenrir Rose."
"Damn. Rick, you and the others keep watch. I've gotta figure out a plan."
"No problem."
Cima could see several green Musais and a Pazoc floating in the distance, the remnants of the Delaz Fleet.
"Alex, are any of my other ships still alive?"
"Not sure, Miss Cima. We got contacted by the Wild Osprey a few minutes ago, but the comm channels have been quiet since then."
Her eyes still on Delaz's followers, Cima spotted the white bastard who'd destroyed her Lili Marlene. The giant white mobile armor was tearing through the Zeon forces, demolishing anything and everything in its path.
"All right, let's pull out! Get back to the Rose! You lag behind, then you're on your own. You die, then go to Hell!"
This earned Cima a chorus of acknowledgments. She allowed a predatory smile to creep onto her face.
"And if you find anything Zeon in your way, feel free to destroy it. Let's move!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The group of five mobile suits ignited their thrusters, and blasted off towards the Rose. Alex opened a comm with his squad.
"Okay, let's give Miss Cima a clear path! Time to 'part the sea!'"
"Got it!"
The four Gelgoog Marines blazed forth, raining deadly fire upon anyone foolish enough to stray into their path. Cima's red Gerbera Tetra brought up the rear, finishing off any "leftovers."
But, as fate would have it, Cima Garahau and 1st Lieutenant Kou Uraki would cross paths yet again. The Dendrobium lay before the small group, just finishing off two of Delaz's Rick Dom IIs with a shot from its mega beam cannon. Cima, realizing somehow that this was the same pilot she had fought before, charged forth in her Gerbera Tetra, anger clouding her judgment. She ignored Alex's warnings to stay away from the mobile armor, and fired her beam machinegun at the giant.
"You again, you white bastard! Whose side are you on anyways!?"
She grinned viciously as the beam machinegun tore chunks out of the Gundam mobile armor. She gave a crazed laugh, but then she gasped in shock as the massive Dendrobium made a wrenching turn and impaled the Gerbera on the tip of the mega beam cannon.
With a powerful jerk, Cima flew forward in her restraints; she could feel something give in her left shoulder. Her helmet's faceplate spidered, and she cried out in pain, and at what she knew was to come.
But, the universe wasn't yet ready to let Cima Garahau die.
"Cima!!!"
Activating full thrust, Alex blasted forward at the two combaters, and managed to slam his knuckle shield into the GP03's cannon right before it fired. With baited breath, Alex saw the red-white stream of Minovsky Particles tear through the lower half of the Gerbera, sending the upper half careening off into open space.
"Miss Cima! Come in! Do you read me!? CIMA!"
As the Dendrobium, its pilot's attention elsewhere, flew away, Alex rushed towards the remains of the Gerbera Tetra, with the other Vagabonds close behind.
"Cima! Please, answer me!"
"..."
The comm line was still open! With desperate hope, Alex stopped his Marine Commander next to the wreckage and opened his cockpit hatch. He climbed out, and pushed off towards the Gerbera's cockpit. He grabbed the manual hatch release, and pulled as hard as he possibly could. With a slow, deliberate scrape of metal against metal, the locks popped out and the hatch opened.
Inside, he saw that everything electronic in the Gerbera's cockpit was literally blown apart, probably from the immense power surge from the mega beam cannon. Amidst all of the shorted wires and broken panels, the lone occupant was slumped in the pilot seat, her face invisible in the darkness.
"Cima...!"
Alex almost ripped out the restraints as he pulled his commander from the cockpit. He noted that her shoulder was dislocated, and tried to not upset it. Checking her over as well as he could, he breathed a massive sigh of relief when he noticed her chest still rising and lowering, albeit slowly.
"Thank God. Guys, she's alive! She's hurt though, so let's get back to the Rose, ASAP!"
"Yes sir!"
Pushing off the now derelict Gerbera Tetra, Alex floated back to his mobile suit. Her looked down at his commander's now serene, yet somewhat tragic, face. Even after all the hell she'd been through, she still retained a great deal of the beauty nature graced her with. He smiled as he entered the Gelgoog's cockpit.
"Cima. You'll be safe very soon."
Closing the hatch, Alex held Cima in his arms as he managed to get the restraints on both of them. It was going to be a little tough to fly like this, but he had been in worse situations. He ignited the thrusters, and flew with the other Vagabonds back to their ship.
End Chapter 1
