Note: Thanks a bunch for Gundam Mk. Dead for your reviews. As honored as I am (being compared to Project N... whew!), I don't think I'm worthy of such comparison. Project N is a masterpiece that is really hard, if possible at all, to be surpassed. But I'll try. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.
Chapter VII: Spawn of Hell
Ayers City, Moon,
Mars 16, UC 0088
Armus Gray paced himself in the long corridor, among a flood of technicians and armed men that roved the small hall. He knew Ayers City had been preparing for EFF invasion for some time, but this was different. He could feel the tension as he looked outside; civilians rushed among mobile suit's feet, as the metal avatars wandered ever so gently as to not crush the humans below. There was only one explanation to the cacophony: EFF was bringing big guns to end the conflict.
Entering the command center, Armus took a spot beside Josh Offshore. Brave Cod, Brian Aeno, and Tosh Cray stood in the middle of the room, and from their tensed face, Armus could guess what was going on. The tactical officers tried to bring their voices down, but Armus could sense fear in their whispering. One particular screen sprouted images from a satellite, and countless EFF cruisers were piling up some 50 miles away from Ayers City. So great their number, the end of the fleet was nowhere in sight, as if the entire EFF armada was latching on to Ayers City.
"Sir, transmission from the EFF fleet," one tactical officer stated. "Looks like they're trying to make contact with us."
"Patch it through," Brave Cod said.
"Attention EFF renegades," an image of an EFF officer materialized on the big screen. "I am Admiral Honsei, leader of EFF Eagle Force Battle Group. By this time I believe you have witnessed the strength of my fleet. You are surrounded, and there is nowhere to escape. You have 24 hours to lay down your weapons, vacate Ayers City, and surrender unconditionally. This is my last and only warning to the New Desides and all its accomplices. If we don't see any sign of surrender by this time tomorrow, my troops will descend into Ayers City and attack any armed units in the city. If you are sensible men, as I hope you are, then you'll notice that there is only one solution. Surrender, and I'll spare your lives."
Defiantly, Brave Cod stepped up to the monitor. "This is Captain Brave Cod, leader of the New Desides. I refuse to comply, and I will take any consequences of my action. I will not let myself nor my devotees to be ruled by the parasitic Spacenoids that hid behind the Earth Federation. The time is nigh for someone to stand up against your corruption. I am not intimidated by your fleet, and I will see your force in Ayers City."
With a rude hash, Brave Cod killed the transmission, ending the doomed negotiation.
By that time, Ayers City mayor Kaiser Pinefield entered the room. The look in his eyes buried the small glint of hope that the mayor might bring in the political arena. The mayor cleared his throat before speaking, "A week ago I was alive with hope that other Lunar cities would join our little insurrection for the sake of our future. I thought we had friends in this small rock. Well, gentlemen, I thought wrong. We don't have friends. We only have supporters who hate the Federation, but love their own lives more than anything in the world. More than the willpower to stand up for their principle. Looks like we are alone in this one."
"We don't need them," Brian Aeno spoke up, trying to boost morale. "We have dedicated soldiers. We have powerful weapons. We have faith. With a little bit of tactic, we can deliver punches in their ranks so hard they will think twice about making their next move."
"And we are fighting in our ground," Tosh Cray added. "The EFF can have all the space they want, but Ayers City is ours! We must take the battle to the city, until they are forced to fight door-to-door. Urban fighting is not their forte, and they are too arrogant to learn a little bit about it. This is our chance to show them what we really are!"
"Urban fighting, Sir?" Armus took the liberty to interject. "With all due respect, it's not that EFF does not have the skill to fight in urban area. They don't want to do it because they want to avoid collateral damage."
"Good point, Lieutenant, but obviously you take it to the wrong direction," Tosh Cray stated. "That's the exact reason why we have to bring them down to the city. They'll be reluctant to fight. They don't want to exchange victory with human lives. That's where we're excel, Lieutenant Gray. We believe in our cause, and we dare to take any measure to stand up for our cause. I don't think the citizens of Ayers City would mind a little mishap, as long as victory is at hand."
Armus could not believe what he had just heard.
"No! I can't let my people die!" Mayor Pinefield protested. "They didn't elect me to lead them into death! Take you battle somewhere else!"
"Are you concerned about the next election, Mayor?" Brave Cod joined in. "Afraid that this small strategy will leak out, so that they won't elect you again? Well I tell you something, Mayor. There won't be any election at all if we lose this war! We must win at all cost!"
"You people are nuts!" Pinefield spat.
"Think about this: if we win, all the people of Ayers City want you to be their mayor. Kaiser Pinefield, the savior of Ayers City!"
Pinefield didn't challenge the New Desides anymore.
"Sir, I don't think this is a good idea," Armus spoke matter-of-factly. "We can't let civilians be our shield against the Federation Force."
"Obviously you haven't left your old code as a Federation soldier, Lieutenant Gray," Tosh Cray ranted agitatedly. "You and I have the same root. We know how EFF fight. We know their every little weakness, including their erudite rules of engagement. But we are not EFF anymore, so we're not bound to anything. You will carry this plan, Lieutenant Gray!"
Armus turned to Brian Aeno. "Admiral..."
"Face it, Son. We're fugitive. So start acting like one."
This is not what I had in mind when I decided to help Aeno stand up to his principle. We are facing a losing battle, but there are no excuses to include non-combatants in a military engagement. Never. Never. Never. I believed that Earthnoids could be better men than the Spacenoids. I was wrong. Weapons are not meant to hit civilians. Never.
I feel sick.
"Armus! Hey, Armus! What's the matter with you?"
Armus snapped out of his thought, showered by stares from the entire room. He perfected his stance, realizing that this plan will carry on with or without him, and his little defiance would only cause more trouble to him and his squadron. So he hissed, "As you wish, Sir."
"Good!" Tosh Cray punched a remote control, and a 3-D map of Ayers City sprung in the center of the room. "I want cascaded defense line. Put the paramilitary on the outer rim of the city to soften the incoming fleet, and the Xeku Eins and Novel GM III's around the capitol. As they get closer to the center, they'll meet tougher resistant. This will make them frustrated and mad. Mad soldiers tend to make mistakes."
"What if they drop their troops straight in the center?" Brave Cod asked.
"My fleet will guard the city so no Federation ship can come within 10 miles from the city," Brian Aeno complied. "They have to make the drop some 10 miles of the city, then march inward. This is easier for your boys to chop them off while they're trying to get into the city."
Tosh Cray shot a glare at Armus. "Are you up for that? If you do your job well, the Feds might not reach the city at all, and your concern about astronomical collateral damage will not happen. It's unlikely, but not impossible."
"I'll do my best," that was all Armus could say.
"Which brings me to my last question," Tosh Cray summed up. "Where do you want to be, Brave Cod?"
Brave Cod looked at Josh Offshore. "Did the scientists analyze the battle record from Lieutenant Gray?"
"Yes Sir," Josh answered. "The pilot is Ryu Roots, a loose cannon pilot. His moves are all predictable, you'll see in the battle record. The problem is, he's not the only one controlling the Gundam. ALICE, the artificial intelligence, is the main headache because it's adaptive to any situation it encounters. What you'll see in the battlefield will not be the same with what you'll see in the battle record."
"At least we have the worse side of it," Brave Cod said. "Load it up to my Gundam, and hope that I can kill this Roots punk before ALICE takes control of the Gundam. I'll be wherever he is. Twenty four hours is more than enough to prepare their welcoming party," Brave Cod paused a moment to take a deep breath. "This is it, everyone. Man your post now, and may God be with you!"
Everybody scrambled out of the room, leaving Armus dumbfounded. Everything he held true was turned over in a minute. It was clear that the New Desides were milking Ayers City, starting from ransom from the civilians up till using them as fence. They didn't pay any respect to the locals. Yet theparamilitary and the citizens helped the New Desides with childlike gusto, as if they were spellbound by Brave Cod's charm, Tosh Cray's radical strategy, and the hope in the Gundam. A false hope, but evidently a powerful weapon in the hands of Brave Cod and Tosh Cray. Armus started to feel that he made a big mistake supporting the New Desides, but it was all too late now. He walked into the hangar as the mobilization continued to progress outside.
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Next, on "I, Feddie" Chapter VIII:
Hundreds of mobile suits filled the horizon, steadily inching toward Ayers City like a tornado, ready to wreak havoc everything within its path. The sight of the Eagle Force's mobile suit ensemble would make even the most experienced warrior tremble.
"Knuckle up!! Remember, I might make the wrong decision, but I will never regret fighting with you! Let's show the Eagle Force that they are dealing with the GraveWalkers! If we have to make our last stand here in Ayers City, we will take as many of them with us! Automatic fire, and wait for my signal!"
Fire belched from the Xeku Zwei's smart gun as Josh abused his trigger. A burst of energy zipped toward the Rick Dias, seemingly too busy fighting the militia to recognize the lurking danger. But at the perfect moment, when the beam streaks were about to hit, the Rick Dias flinched to the right. Josh fired again, but the Rick Dias took off to the sky, leaving a pair of white smoke on top of the mayhem Josh just painted with his missed fire. Josh trailed him with his Xeku Zwei, firing his smart beam rifle like a madman. But the Rick Dias crisscrossed its path, easily dodging Josh's poor marksmanships. It turned around and popped up its 55-mm vulcan cannons on its head. Josh banked hard to the right, but the Rick Dias' fore arms popped up, revealing a pair of gatling guns. Josh could only watch as the gatling flashed, and a second later, his left leg breached from the body.
"This is Lieutenant Shin Crypt from Task Force Alpha. Do you really think that puny toy you call a 'gun' can do damage to my FAZZ?"
"We just have to see, don't we? Kill me and I'll take one of you with me!"
"Leave the FAZZ to me, children. Get back to the hangar and have yourself patched up good."
"Well well, Brave Cod himself. And in Gundam Mk V, no less! You must have a lot of respect out of that suit to come here alone."
"You're not what I'm looking for. I'm waiting for Ryu Roots. But 3 FAZZ makes one S Gundam, don't you think? So come on, punks! You wanna win the war easy? You wanna be heroes? Take your best shot and attack me!"
"You're asking for it, old man! Kill him!"