The Glory of Zeon Reviled
Part one of a multi-story Mobile Suit Gundam Fanfiction by:
EVA-01 Beta
(Known on GundamWatch as "RX-79(BC)" )
Preread by:
Deathzealot
Chapter 1:
Proving Grounds
It is October 10th. of the year 0078. Two years ago, with the beginning of mass production of the Principality of Zeon's newest weapon, the Mobile Suit MS-05 Zaku, the Zeon Mobile Suit Training Battalion has become the single most requested training unit in the Principality. Countless men and women, commissioned and enlisted alike, seek the opportunity to operate one of these incredible new war machines, but only a select few will even get the chance to prove themselves worthy of the title 'Mobile Suit Pilot'.
Now, one of the newest groups of pilots, trained to operate both the tried and true Zaku I as well as the new and improved Zaku II Mobile Suit, ready for the last phase of their training in preparation for a bloody war that is, by all accounts, just around the corner...
"Ladies and gentlemen," Commander Memphis opened the briefing on a unusually informal level, "I would like to congratulate you here and now for your astounding performance thus far. You've set new standards for the Training Battalion, and each and every one of you deserves recognition for the efforts you all have put into your training to get where you are now." The rotund man silenced himself as a small round of applause swept through the assembled pilot-cadets, ranging in rank from Petty Officer to Lieutenant, all standing as equals in each other's eyes. Once the briefing room had fallen again into silence, the Commander stepped around the synthetic wooden podium and stood directly in front of the mass of people before him.
"It is because of your achievements that you have earned the right to participate in this last trial; a 'final exam', of sorts," a challenging pull on his lip formed a kind of smirk, "Only, so long as you obey the orders we, the instructors, give you, you're guaranteed to earn your wings."
A hand shot up near the back of the seated Zeon soldiers. Nodding towards the woman, she rose from her seat, bright crimson locks cut to regulation only enhancing her features, and straightened her Ensign's uniform slightly before asking, "If we can't fail, what's the point of the test, Sir?"
Memphis chuckled deeply, "Who said you can't fail? As a matter of fact, Ensign, about half of you will. Every contest has a winner and a loser. The difference here is the fact that losing this mission isn't going to cost you anything more than your pride... and a lucky break..." he added at the end with a leer.
"Wht kind of 'lucky break', Sir?" the redhead inquired.
"The victors of this mission will be moved to the top of the list to receive one of the new C-model Zaku IIs. There's only a small number of them being assigned to rookie pilots," His eyes losing their focus, the Lead Instructor seemed to have lost contact with hsi surroundings as he continued, "so it's going to be quite a badge of honor to scrape the Federation scum from the Earth Sphere at the controls of this crowning acheivement of military technological design."
Appairantly contented with the answer, the young redhead sat back down as another hand rose, this one belonging to an unshaven and burly Chief Petty Officer. Once recognized in similar fashion, he questioned from his seat, "What's the test?"
Moving to stand once again behind his podium, Memphis called up the tactical map behind him, showing an image of a closed colony, identical to those found in Side 3, with a number of Musais and a pair of Chivvays around it, separated into groups which seemed to be forming battle lines against each other. "You will be joining with another detachment of cadets from the Training Corps, one performing at about the same level as yourselves. The lot of you will then be split into two teams. Each team will have a mixture of personnel from both detachments, as an attempt to simulate the loses of war. The simulation will operate on the assumption that the Earth Federation Space Forces has successfully captured both Zeon spacecraft and Mobile Suits. Minovski Particle density will be simulated at combat density by the disabling of your radar systems and by having your comm. gear operating at 20 of normal power.
"Team 1 will take on the role of a Zeon Mobile Suit battalion and the battle group to which it is assigned, and your task will be to successfully capture the 'enemy' Federation-controlled colony with causulties and damage to the colony kept to a minimum. You will also be operating under a time limit of five minutes, representing how long Feddie reenforcements would take to reach the colony.
"Team 2 will represent the EFSF unit assigned to maintain order and defend the colony from Zeon attack. You will be responsible for repelling the incoming invasion forces while suffering minimal causulties and minimal damage to the colony. Remember that the five minute time limit imposed on the Zeon forces only begins once the Federation's Command & Communications Center transmits a distress signal, which can only be transmitted after it has received a comfirmed report of Zeon forces attacking the area.
"In this simulation, all MS forces will be armed with weapons carrying paint rounds or, in the case of proximal weapons, paint release systems. Missles fired by the Musais and Chivvays will carry paint warheads, and MPCs will attack by successfully locking onto the target. Damage and destruction will be calculated as follows," As the Commander pressed a button on the podium, an inset image of a table popped into being, "First, the capital vessels; Musais will be expected to withstand a total of five 'hits'. Chivvays: ten. Now, for Mobile Suits; Zaku Is can take three 'hits', and Zaku IIs: five. A shoulder shield can withstand one MS weapon attack. An arm-mounted shield can receive three MS 'hits'. Shields do not counter warship-based attacks.
"Hits are defined as such: For Chivvays and Musais: First and foremost, Mobile Suits are destoyed instantly by MPCs and missiles cause three 'hits' each. MPCs count as three 'hits' to other vessels, while each missile counts as a half point to them. The Chivvay's AA guns count the same as a Zaku's Machine Gun. Speaking of which, MS weapons work on the following scale," Another press of the button; another table pops up, "Machine Guns register one 'hit' for every six paint hits against MS, but have no effect on ships. Bazooka rounds do three 'hits' against Mobile Suits, and half a 'hit' against ships. Cracker grenades work the same way, except Zakus hit by them are considered 'stunned' for three seconds, and can't move.
"Note, however," Commander Memphis raised his callused finger in warning, "that both Bazookas and Crackers, as well as any capital ship fire, can damage the colony. The colony itself can shrug off twenty interior and fifteen exterior 'hits', and is considered a 'ship' for the purposes of this simulation. Note, also, that the colony can be damaged by both Teams. Also, the Heat Hawks are instant kills to MS if the blow coats your Zaku with more than three square meters of paint, or if it connects with your backpack or main camera. Proximal attacks are deemed harmless to capital vessels unless the hit is to the Bridge, for four 'hits', or the engines, which are two 'hits' per engine 'destroyed'."
Stopping a moment to catch his breath and change the briefing room monitor again, the glowing screen now showing the Zeonic Cross that symbolized the end of the briefing. "Victory is calculated on a very simple set of requirements: the invasion forces are victorious if all EFSF warships around the colony are destroyed and any Federal Forces presence within three and a half kilometers of their Comm-Comm Center has been wiped out before the expiration of the time limit. The Federation detachment wins if the Zeon invaders fail to meet their requirements for victory. Of course, instant victory is achieved by annihilating all of the opposition's forces, regardless of other expectations. This simulation will commence twelve hours after the arrival of the Dwain-Zee and her formation, who are excpected to arrive in four to six hours. Any questions?" Through the usual post-briefing mass-whispering, the head instructor of the Darowan's Mobile Suit Training Unit heard more than a few voices asking, "So, who's leading the teams?" Deciding to drop the other shoe sooner rather than later, he drew his oft-rowdy batch of students to once again give him their attention.
"To determine the two Team Commanders, who will be assuming the roles of MS Wing Commanders, my counterpart aboard the Dwain-Zee and I tallied our cadets' simulator and live-fire test score averages and ranked them based on these numbers. Surprisingly, three out of the top five, and both of the Commanders, came from my unit." Pride was visibly beaming off the older man, "Banning and Hepner, front and center!" At his command, a pair of Ensigns, the girl who had asked about the test as well as a man about as young as she was with a mat of barely maintained dusty brown locks, made their way to the podium and stood at attention. "You two are our Wing Commanders. Ensign Banning, as you came in at the top of the list, you have the choice of taking command of Team 1 or Team 2. Which do you prefer?" he asked the teenage man.
"Team 1, sir," he replied crisply, as would be expected of someone only months out of OCS, "I came here to learn how to descimate Feddie scum, not to learn how to act that heartless and weak."
"Hmhmhm..." Commander Memphis chuckled, "Good answer, m'boy! Teach those Feddie pigs a lesson! Meanwhile," he turned to face the other junior officer before him, "In return, I'll give you first choice for a leiutenant. You don't have to give me an answer until the other half of our operation arrives, but both of you should start thinking about that very carefully..." To the rest of the room's occupants, he asked, "Any other questions?" Seeing no indication of any, he dismissed the group to do as they wished for the next few hours.
The hours seemed to seep by like molasses for Ensign Banning, resting comfortably in his bunk. The teenage Zeon officer could barely contain his axiety over the comming exercise and what he hoped would be his impressive victory. In an effort to at least drive his fears, worries, and pride from his conscious mind, the walnut-haired soldier set his mind to selecting his first three or four choices for a lieutenant. He knew he probably wouldn't get his top choice, because his good friend and now competetor 'Charry' Hepner had first crack at them. Mulling everyone in his unit over for strengths and weaknesses, trying to find someone who would shore up Chris's own weak spots while still being a capable leader, various names kept comming to mind.
Charry's definately out of the question... At this point, she's the enemy!! Banning thought as he gently shifted onto his side, staring off into the infinate nothingness which he called home through the porthole, That one guy, Swaggard... He seems to be a fair leader, if a little lacking in initiative... No good.... Daniels? A fine soldier, but he's never had an independent thought in his life...
Shaking his head gently in defeat and accepting the fact that he'd never hear the end of it, Chris finally considered the person he figured would be his best choice from the start. She's a damn good pilot... She almost puts me to shame... ALMOST... A capable leader? For sure; plenty of initiative, fire and determination... She's also got a good head on her shoulders... Going through the list of qualifications for his lieutenant that he had earlier constructed, he couldn't find a single shortcomming or problem, except one... Oh, God in heaven, the flak I'm gonna' get for setting Cass up as my second-in-command... Scrunching up his eyes in a futile attempt to fend off the distant and conjured voices in his head badgering him left, right, and center, Chris tried to sleep off the now even more unbearible time before the Dwain-Zee's arrival.
Elsewhere aboard the Darowan, a certain redhead acting Wing Commander was argueing with herself in a similar debate, although the answer she sought seemed to have arrived far easier for the attractive young woman than it had her male counterpart.
"Doran..." Charlette whispered silently as she justified to herself her decision. Andrea's a skilled pilot, that's for sure. She knows how to keep her men in line... And she's a hell of a lot better in space combat than I am... Yeah, she'll do...
Having finally made up her mind, and having taking four and a half hours to do so, she headed for her bunk in an attempt to get some sleep before the other Chivvay arrived. Fate decided it'd have none of that, however, as the thickly accented voice of teh Darowan's captain echoed through the halls, "All hands, all hands; this is the captain: Dwain-Zee and escorts approaching. Ready all stations for docking. I repeat, Dwain-Zee and escorts approaching. Ready all stations for docking."
There goes R & R... Hepner thought mirthfully as she stopped herself midway down one of the battleships endless corridors and propelled herself back the way she had come towards one of the transport rails that would carry her to the Darowan's MS bay.
"...peat, Dwain-Zee and escorts approaching. Ready all stations for docking."
Ever so slowly, the world of dreams and nightmares released Chris Banning from their figidly warm embrace and allowed his mind to focus itself on the real world around him. Realizing what the intercom message that had served as his alarm clock meant, the solidly-built if not overly muscular man took a moment in front of his mirror to ensure he looked presentable enough for the arrival of what were sure to be new people under what would be the green Ensign's first command. With every inch of his uniform looking the best it ever would, Chris set off to the Mobile Suit Bay, ready, willing, and able to make his instructors at the Academy proud.
End of Chapter 1
---Note: I do not lay claim to any element or componant of Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front, or any other copyrighted materials that may be referenced to in this FanFiction. All I claim as my own are the original characters and the original plot elements I have developed. ---