Note: SulliMike23 is my staunch friend in this arena, so with his permission I use his 10th MS Team as a part of EFF major offensive against the New Desides and Ayers City Militia. This is by no means an act to flood my review section with controversy, but as an act of honoring my friendship with SulliMike23. So if anybody has a grudge against this, please send it directly to my email. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Chapter VIII: Eagle Lands
Ayers City, Moon,
March 17, UC 0088
It was a silent night in Ayers City, but the situation was far from calm and bright. Troops loitered about for some last minute errands, feeding the mobile suits that scattered around the city in full alert. Guns hoisting, the Xeku Ein and Novel GM III mobile suits scattered themselves around the center of the city, while Ayers City Militia barricaded the suburban area. Their Zaku II's were in contrast with the New Desides' state-of-the-art Xeku Eins, but the militias were fanatics that didn't mind being out of date as long as they could fight for their freedom. Civilians cowered in their quarters, motorists abandoned their cars, residents turned off the lights, waiting for their fate.
Armus inspected his troops that scattered around Chiba District, a bridge between the Ayers City Militia and the New Desides. Jack and 4 more GraveWalkers crouched on top of buildings, which provided greater view over the battlefield. Lynn and the rest of the GraveWalkers spread out in the street in such a way that they covered the entire district while could still watch each other's back. Satisfied with the defense line, Armus climbed a parking garage and waited on the roof.
Then, Operation Eagle Force began.
The sky coruscated as missiles and mega particle cannons blasted, spitting their venoms toward enemy ranks. The Earth Federation ships quickly brought their sheer number to play. They formed a semi circle to siege the X-Divisional Fleet in the center while throwing everything they had at Aeno's fleet. But Brian Aeno orchestrated his cruisers to counter every move of the Federation ships. Particle beams and missiles flew in every direction, and fireballs blossomed every time they hit their marks. The sky blitzed with explosions, and darkness turned daylight while burning splinters from destroyed ships rained down on Ayers City like burning hail.
It was not long until Armus' radar picked up heavy activities on the outskirt of Ayers City. 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!!" Armus yelled, aiming his rifle toward the cloud of EF mobile suits. "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!"
The Eagle Force closed in to the city, and the Ayers City Militia raised their guns and let loose their fire. Tracers of bullets and cannon rounds ascended in great number, filling the sky with resplendence. Sparks erupted as the ballistics rammed themselves into the Eagle Force, illuminating the sky like fireworks from the impacts of explosives. But sadly, they failed to destroy a single Fed's mobile suit. The Neros and GM IIIs were 8 years ahead of the militia's 120-mm machine guns, bequest of One Year War, and the ballistics just bounced off the armor plating without even scratching the paint. The Feds stretched their arms and launched their counterattack. Rifles blasting, beam javelins raining down on the militia's rank, the Eagle Force mobile suits marched into Ayers City, mowing down the Zakus that got in their way. One by one the Ayer City's mobile suit exploded into brilliant color.
"FIRE!!" Armus bellowed, squeezing his trigger with iron grit. "Send'em all to hell!"
Bursts of laser leapt from their rifles, moping up the front row of the Eagle Force with lethal fire. Three Neros and four GM IIIs quickly turned into mini suns as the beams ravaged their torso. A beam streak stabbed a Nero in the right shoulder, blowing up the entire structure and breaching the arm. Other diced a GM III in the leg, and the dismembered limb cartwheeled into a building, creating minor fire as it cut off the building's transmission line. The GraveWalkers heightened their attack, shearing off more and more Neros and GM IIIs from the main group.
Tasting a new, deadlier threat from Ayers City, the commanders screamed their orders, dispersing the Neros and GM IIIs among blitzing fire, sizzling titanium fragments, and tongues of fire from erupting comrades. One third of the Eagle Force quickly dove into the city, taking refuge behind the buildings, but were quickly surrounded by militias. Though obsolete, the Zaku's brute power proved to be quite a menace to the descending Neros and GM IIIs. Others stayed afloat and regrouped into smaller units and tried to find a better position to return fire.
Through the corner of his eyes Armus watched 4 Federal mobile suits wrestled with a swarm of militia's Zakus. The overwhelming numbers of the militia seemed to had no effect at all as one by one the Zakus exploded or gotten mutilated by the high-energy unit. The leader was on a Rick Dias, a custom-made no less, which was uncommon in Federation ranks. Two Jegans winged the Rick Dias on the left and right, and a GM II closed the diamond formation. Armus knew only one unit who wielded such a radical blend.
"All units, this is Gamma-One. I have visual contact with 10th MS Team... Repeat... Visual contact with 10th MS Team on grid 3E-9R..."
"Sit tight, Gamma-One," Josh Offshore crackled on the comlink. "These thugs are out of your league. I'll handle them."
A minute later, Josh's Xeku Zwei soared above Armus' head, followed by 3 Xeku Eins in wedge formation. White smoke trailed from their jet nozzles as they raced toward the 10th MS Team. 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. One streak busted its left shoulder guard, turning it into molten goo that splattered onto the buildings. Others fell into the midst of a militia's Zaku that was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The old Zeon mobile suit roared into a massive fireball, taking all the surrounding buildings into its fiery tomb.
Damn!
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. Twin traces of bullets dashed out of the cannons, shredding the armor on Josh's left leg. Warning message screamed into the cockpit as the armor tracker flashed in yellow blitzes. 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. Sparks and oil gushed out from the wound, and acrid smoke invaded the cockpit. Josh gritted his teeth as he yanked his joystick hard, trying to get control of his spinning Xeku Zwei. But the loss of one leg turned the mobile suit upside down. The bulky mobile suit crashed into an apartment building, taking down the 15-story concrete tower.
"Delta-One's down! Delta-One's down!!" Armus screamed. "GraveWalkers, saturated fire on 3E-9R!!"
The GraveWalker squadron swung their rifles toward the designated grid and let loose a hail of beam. The entire vicinity went ablaze; fire raged from building to building as concrete structures collapsed on top of each other. The 10th MS Team, who was closing on Josh Offshore for the kill, was forced to take off to the sky to evade the GraveWalker's pressure. Burning cavities adorned the hull of the Rick Dias, Jegans, and GM II, a souvenir from the carnage. But none of them received critical damage, and they wisely left the battlefield.
It was one of those decisions Armus would regret for the rest of his life. Torching the entire grid to prevent the 10th MS Team from preying on the fallen Josh Offshore robbed the lives of hundreds of civilians, unarmed men, women, children, everything that was hapless enough to be at the vicinity. But Armus had no choice. Josh Offshore could not die today. The entire defense line relied on his ingenuity. Losing him would cost the New Desides the entire war.
The 10th MS Team relayed the news that they had shot down one of New Desides' high-ranking officers. Dozens of Neros and GM IIIs started to move to grid 3E-9R, Josh Offshore's crash site. A smart move by the 10th MS Team. It reminded Armus of a chess game he played with his buddy back at the academy. He foolishly put his queen into a trap, and his buddy launched an all-out assault on his trapped crown jewel. Josh Offshore was New Desides' trapped queen, and Armus knew he had to get him out of the trap at all cost.
"Pielhau, you're in charge! Don't let anybody get into grid 3E-9R! And keep the 10th MS away! Varr, cover me!"
As soon as he heard Jack's response, Armus switched to WaveRider mode and blasted his jets. His fighter leapt into the sky, away from the heat, then dove straight into the firewall. Some Neros saw him coming for Josh and tried to shoot him down. Armus jiggled his joysticks left and right, making his WaveRider roll, pitch, and bank hard to every direction, losing the deadly attacks by the Feds. One unfortunate fire grilled his tail binder. Warning sound screamed into his ear, but Armus shrugged it off and dashed toward the crash site.
When he arrived at the downed building, Armus switched to Z Plus and dug the concrete pile, hoping to find any sign of mobile suit underneath the rubble. Neros and GM III came from every direction, but Lynn arrived and quickly made her rifle to work. She quickly killed 3 GM IIIs, all of which exploded into yellowish fireball. A Nero sneaked behind her back and sank a good salvo into her left shoulder. Lynn's Z Plus staggered hard as explosion ripped her shoulder apart, tearing off her left arm. But Lynn quickly regained balance and pivoted back. Her surgical shot drilled into the Nero's solar plexus, right into the cockpit. The Nero's pilot didn't have a chance to scream when a blinding white flush surged into the cockpit, dissolving everything within a blink. The Nero exploded, scattering hot Gundarium chunks to every direction.
Meanwhile, Armus got the arm of the Xeku Zwei, then heaved it upward as hard as he could. The bulky mobile suit emerged as the rubble dispersed. Wasting no time, Armus blasted his jets to bring the one-legged Xeku Zwei to the sky toward the hangar.
"Varr, I got him. Get the hell out of here!"
But trouble hadn't left the leader of the GraveWalker squadron. As soon as he was airborne with Josh's Xeku Zwei, 3 big mobile suits cut his path. Task Force Alpha's FAZZ squadron barricaded the sky with their monstrous Mega Particle Cannons pointing straight at Armus' cockpit.
"This is Lieutenant Shin Crypt from Task Force Alpha," one of the FAZZ pilot spoke. "Lay down your weapons and your lives will be spared."
"In your dreams!" Armus replied and holstered his rifle.
"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?" Armus taunted, hoping to buy some time. "Kill me and I'll take one of you with me!"
"Two!" Lynn said and positioned her Z Plus beside Armus.
"Three!" suddenly the Xeku Zwei moved and hoisted its gun at the FAZZ. "I might be mangled, but I'm damn sure I still can shoot!"
"Leave the FAZZ to me, children," another mobile suit joined the fray. "Get back to the hangar and have yourself patched up good."
"Well well, Brave Cod himself," Shin Crypt chuckled. "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," Brave Cod drew his beam sabers. "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!" Shin Crypt hissed in repugnance. "Kill him!"
The FAZZ charged, but the Gundam Mk. V dodged the attack and launched its counter attack. Their movement was almost a blur, and their attacks looked like strands of light that wrapped into themselves. Armus didn't want to hang around to see the result. He coaxed the Xeku Zwei to fly toward the hangar, Lynn's one-armed Z Plus following suit. Five minutes later, the comlink went alive with hurrahs, and Armus knew who won the fight. Brave Cod's Gundam Mk. V. had purged the FAZZ squadron.
Arriving at the hangar, Armus laid Josh down on the floor. Countless technicians and repair mobile suits scrambled the maimed Xeku Zwei. Armus exited his Z Plus and dashed for the Xeku Zwei cockpit. The hatch opened, revealing Josh Offshore, covered in his dried blood, but still in high spirit.
"Patch my mobile suit in two hours," Josh ordered, wincing as he got up.
"You're going nowhere, Josh," Armus halted him. "Varr, get Lieutenant Offshore to the sickbay and make sure he stays there. Bound him to his bed if you must."
"The hell are you doing?" Josh tried to escape, but the stinging twinge in his ribs stopped him. "I'm not staying here while my men are fighting the Feds!"
"If you stay calm, you're out in 2 days, fresh and healthy," Lynn injected some morphine into Josh's vein. "In this condition, you're nothing but a freak in the eyes of the Feds. So give yourself some break, Lieutenant."
"Sergeant Lynn Varr is the best medic I've ever had," Armus tapped Josh's shoulder. "You're in good hands. Do as she says and you'll get out in no time."
"Hey," Josh yapped. "Save some Feds for me!"
Armus smirked, hoping into his Z Plus. "Don't worry. There'll be plenty of them when you get out." He switched to WaveRider and blasted out of the hangar. A cannibalistic battle welcomed him, and Armus dove straight into the midst of it, regrouping with his squadron to ward off as many EFF soldiers as he could.
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Next, on "I, Feddie" Chapter IX:
The other platoon spotted Armus and fired their weapons. Armus banked hard, wincing upon realizing that his rifle was only 2 effective, then prepared to make his last stand. He zigzagged to avoid the attack, then fired once as he heard the locking sound. His beam lanced a Nero squarely on the torso, which quickly erupted into a fireball. Armus fired again, and another Nero blew up. Just then, his console screamed; he had no power left on his e-cap. The two remaining Neros intensified their attack, but Armus crisscrossed his path, switched to Z Plus, and kicked a Nero on its chest. The EFF mobile suit jerked behind and toppled into a building. The building collapsed, burying the Nero.
"All units, this is Gamma-One! The 10th MS Team is moving in to Chiba District! I repeat... 10th MS Team coming from the west! Where's my goddamn ammunition?"
"We have a problem, Gamma-One, the Feds... Aargh!! No... AARGGGHH.... dzzzt..."
"I'll get the sonsofbitches!"
"No! Pielhau, hold your position!"
"No can do, Sir! Somebody has to stop the 10th MS Team or we're in deep shit. You can't, and Lynn's too far on the east. It's all on me, el-tee!"
Jack's rifle blitzed with fire, but the Rick Dias dashed with its beam saber flashing, and swung at Jack's right arm. Spark burst as Jack's arm flew several feet behind, taking the beam rifle with it. The sudden loss of mass turned Jack's Z Plus swaying, staggering to maintain balance. Jack gritted his teeth and gripped his joystick as hard as he could. When he regained control, the Rick Dias was hoisting its arms over its head, ready to make its final thrust. Jack could only watch in awe as the Rick Dias' arms fell like a guillotine, bringing its beam saber on top of his head.
"Central, central, this is Gamma-One. 10th MS Team is breaching Chiba District. I need immediate support..."
"Negative, Gamma-One. We're getting crushed from every direction, and we're losing men fast. We don't have enough power to support you. Give Chiba District to them and regroup at the capitol."
"If they get Chiba District, they'll gain easy access to capitol."
"I know, but it's better to lose Chiba District than to lose you. Give it up, Gamma-One. You'll fight them another day."