Nazca-class Destroyer Vesalius. Outside of Colony Heliopolis
"I thank you for bringing this footage with you, Miguel." Rau La Creuset spoke up to one of the pilot, as he, Captain Ades and other pilots, observed the taken footage. "You have saved me and my reputation from becoming a laughingstock of our military, and brought us this proof. Clearly, our information was not complete, and not only have we missed one more so-called G-Weapon, but even more crucially, our intelligence had failed to inform us, that Commander Millicas Lucifuge is alive and is now working for the Earth Alliance." Rau stated to all, with clear shock on many of his men's faces.
"Commander, with all due respect, even with this footage and the usage of the DRAKE, I find it extremely unlikely that Commander Lucifuge would ever betray us for the Alliance." Captain Ades stated. "I've had the privelage of working with them man, and he never struck me as a traitor or a turncoat."
"Perhaps back then he was a man of his word, but I assure you, Captain, that it was Lucifuge." Rau stated, as he looked at his pilots. "I understand that for all of you this quite shocking, as it is for me, but I implore all of you to focus on our situation at hand. While our initial mission was partially successful, we cannot allow the Alliance's ship and it's remaining prototypes escape. Our new objectives are their capture or destruction, as well as elimination of Commander Lucifuge for good." That got surprised look from Athrun.
"Commander is this… Are sure that this is the only way?" Athrun asked of Rau, who turned his attention to him. "I do not think that Commander Lucifuge would become an Alliance pilot, not after all he had done…"
"Athrun, I understand that this is hard for you, given your personal history with him, but I fear that we have no other choice. We all know of the prowess that the Red Comet possesses, and to allow such a man to escape would serve only to threaten ZAFT and PLANTs, given his intimate knowledge of all our aspects." Rau explained himself, as he turned to Captain Ades. "What is the status of our mobile suit group."
"With the loss of our initial team and damage done to your personal unit, we can only field three GINNS, one from us, and two from Gamow." Ades reported, with Rau clearly not liking the odds.
"Hm, the odds are not in our favor… What is the status on the prototypes?" Rau asked.
"Gamow reported that they were finished with data extraction on their machines, as have we." Ades answered, before realizing what Rau meant. "Commander, you do not suggest that we use those prototypes?"
"In our current situation, we should use any means necessary, or otherwise Lucifuge will outplay us." Rau answered. "With those two machines and his DRAKE, he has more than enough firepower to take out our GINNS and cover their escape. If we are to win, we need even the playing field, hence why we need those machines. What is the status on them?"
"Duel, Buster and Blitz are combat ready technically, but their OS is need of further work. As for Aegis, our technicians report that the repairs on it will take at least two or three days, given the amount of damage and the fact that it is a prototype." Ades reported.
"Send a message to Gamow, they have two hours to get their machines ready for combat. I authorize usage of the D-equipment." Rau stated, surprising Athrun again, while Rau turned to Miguel. "Miguel will lead the attack, so I suggest you make yourselves ready. Vesalius and Gamow will stand by and be prepared to offer fire support."
"But sir, that would mean damaging the colony and…" Athrun tried to protest, but Miguel intervened.
"Hey, you've heard what commander has said, Athrun. Besides, this is no longer some backwater neutral Colony, but a battlefield. Get used to it." Miguel told him, with Athrun not agreeing with him, but holding his tone. "And as for that traitorous scum, I'll show him what happens to traitors. He'll answer for the humiliation he inflicted on us all!" Miguel promised rather loudly.
Under normal circumstances, Athrun Zala might've supported him, but this time, he preferred to hold back his tongue and not say a word, as not only did it fell wrong for him to go into battle against neutral colony, but apparently against Kira Yamato, his once-best friend, and Millicas Lucifuge, his hero and idol. Everyone in the PLANTs knew the name of the Seraph of Junius Seven, the man who had saved Junius City and decimated the EA's First Fleet, and who saved 153 thousand Coordinators out of 243 thousand from Junius Seven, among them being Athrun's own mother. It was thanks to him and his Angels that Athrun's mother didn't become part of the Bloody Valentine Tragedy, and it was he who inspired him and his friends to enlist, and now… To fight against him, his idol and the man who was his instructor. Despite all that was happening and his seeming defection to the enemy, somehow Athrun could not simply believe that it was as simple as it may've appeared, just like it was with Kira…
Laurasia-class Frigate Gamow. A little later.
"Commander Lucifuge is alive?" Nicol Amarfi asked again, with his Captain nodding to him. "This… This can't be possible. The Commander would never have defected to the EA, no…" Nicol couldn't believe his ears, while Yzak Joule scoffed at him.
"Quit your whining, you coward. Like it or not, but that bastard is not only alive, but he is also a traitor. And we've got the privelage of putting him down for good." Yzak Joule stated with clear anticipation and a smile, with Nicol glaring at him. "Commander La Creuset has ordered us to take our trophy suits and used them against them. This will be almost too easy." Yzak said with clear hint of arrogance.
"Yeah, I almost feel sorry for those blockheaded Natural pilots and that traitor." Dearka Elsman supported Yzak with his own smile. "I imagine it will be quite the irony for him, to have to fight the machines he probably helped develop himself. But perhaps that's what cowards and traitors deserve…"
"Will you shut your mouths, you two?!" Nicol suddenly snapped at the two, surprising them both. "How can the two of you speak like that of Commander Lucifuge? Did you two forget, that it was he who trained us all how to pilot mobile suits, or all of his accomplishments?"
"Perhaps, but that is all in the past, and now he is with the Earth Alliance, right out there with those weakling Naturals. This makes him even worse than a coward and a traitor. He's a betrayer of our own race, and so doesn't deserve to live!" Yzak stated with fervor, before he grinned with a bit of malice at Nicol. "If you want, you can always try and run back to your precious idol, but do keep in mind, that we'll shoot you down as well." Nicol wanted to answer back, but Captain Zelman decided to speak up.
"That is enough. You have received your orders to prepare your machines for combat, you have an hour and thirty minutes for it, and since you've retrieved them, you are to pilot them. Dismissed." Zelman stated, with Yzak and Dearka scoffing at Nicol and leaving first, while Amarfi remained. "Pilot Amarfi, you best tend to your machine."
"I… I've already finished the upgrades on the OS, sir." Nicol stated. "Captain, I… I just do not think that Commander Lucifuge would turn traitor like this. If anything, I… I think he would've preferred to get away from the war."
"And yet we have evidence and confirmation that it was him." Zelman reminded him.
"I know, but… But what if he only fought because we attacked Heliopolis?" Nicol asked of Captain Zelman. "What if he had decided to leave ZAFT and retired here, because he was tired of war…"
"Pilot, I understand what you are trying to say, and personally, I to wish to think that Commander Lucifuge would never betray ZAFT, but… Regardless of circumstances, he now stands with our enemies, and we have no other option but to take him down for good." Zelman stated, with Nicol lowering his head from understanding this fact. "I recommend you get some rest while you can, pilot."
"Yes sir." Nicol saluted and left the bridge, while Yzak and Dearka were on their way to hangar.
"That coward, did you hear him?" Yzak scoffed at the memory. "Still can't believe that he even managed to graduate, even more so along with us."
"Yeah, but you do have remember that out of five of us, Nicol was always Lucifuge's pet." Dearka said with a mocking chuckle. "Without his help, that softie would never have even made it past the exams."
"And he always received all those praises, like how he was good at tactics and had a good head, pft." Yzak practically spit at the memories. "Athrun and Nicol were both of his favorites, and what about us and Rusty? Remember what he always used to say to us?"
"Yeah, that with our attitudes, we'll not make good pilots." Dearka said, as he and Yzak shared a knowing smile. "Guess it's our chance to show our good old teacher what his least favorite students have learned." Yzak agreed.
"Yeah, imagine the honor and glory we'll receive when we do it. We'll be hailed as true heroes, bringers of justice." Yzak said with anticipation. "He may have that antique DRAKE of his, but we've got those prototypes, and you've seen their specs. I say we focus our attention on him and take him out first, you and me."
"Agreed, but what about Nicol? You don't actually think that he would defect, do you?" Dearka asked.
"That guy is a coward and a softie, but I doubt he is that stupid, and if he is… Accidents do happen on the battlefield, and Commander La Creuset wouldn't miss another traitor." Yzak said with a predatory smile, with Dearka, though slightly disturbed by it, agreeing with him.
Heliopolis Colony. Archangel.
Within a few moments after Mu La Flaga revealed who Millicas actually was, three guards already pointed their rifles at him, while others looked at him with clear shock, from his students to Ensign and Lieutenant Ramies, as all of them couldn't believe their ears. Personally Lucifuge wasn't all too surprised, given that he was well aware of his own reputation outside of ZAFT, along with myths and legends that surround his character within the armed forces of the Earth Alliance, and while some held some credibility, others were either exaggerated or completely false. He has heard stories of how he was a merciless and ruthless monster of a pilot, who preyed upon the helpless and defenseless, like escaping life boats and such, along with how served as a symbol of Coordinator supremacy and such.
In part, ZAFT and National Defense Committee were to blame for these stories, as they wanted to instill as much fear into EA and make their pilots and Aces look more than they were, and Millicas was the prime victim of this propaganda. Yes, he was the First Ace, the first true MS pilot and who scored first victories, as well as the man who decimated Alliance's forces in nearly every engagement he fought in, but he was never one to actively go and break rules of warfare, unlike so many other Coordinators he knew. He and his Angels were efficient and effective, but never cruel, and treated their opponents with respect, with Millicas even holding a good amount of respect and admiration towards some of the EA's forces, mostly from Eurasia, for their staunch resistance and resolve to fight no matter what, as well as their code of conduct.
Millicas had more than enough reason to hate EA, or rather some of its leadership, specifically that of Atlantic Federation, but towards average soldiers, pilots and rank-and-file he held no resentment, nor did he take out his anger and anguish for Junius Seven on all he could find. Far too many of Coordinators, however, did so, and while he did try to put a stop to it when he could, the refusal of command and Committee to reprimand these acts and transgressions served only to fuel more and more of the Coordinators to act less as a soldiers, and more as bloodthirsty monsters that EA portrayed them to be. This degradation of morality, along with ZAFT's increasing delusion of their racial supremacy and more were among the reasons why Millicas grew disillusioned with ZAFT and left, along with deciding that he did not want to be accessory to an organization, that was starting to emulate a certain fascistic regime in Anno Domini era.
And now his own reputation caught up him, as the EA and students looked at him with shock and some fear, as the fame and infamy of Seraph of Junius Seven were known far and wide, and even after being declared dead for nearly five months, his legend persisted. Thankfully, not all were blinded by it, and soon Cagalli stepped in between Millicas and EA's soldiers with a glare in her eyes, speaking up.
"Lower your damn guns! In case you guys didn't get it, he just saved your lives from ZAFT and prevented it from getting all of your precious weapons." Cagalli pointed it out to them. "And this is not EA's colony, this Heliopolis, an Orb's colony, and he is a citizen and member of Orb's military, so lower your guns, now!"
"That may be so, but he could a spy, who had been sent to infiltrate Heliopolis, steal the secrets of G-Weapons, and prepare ground for an attack, with the news of his death being fake, created by ZAFT." Natarle Badgiruel suggested. "I'm afraid that given the circumstances, we cannot take any risks. Lieutenant, we must place this man under arrest and…"
"Your concerns are justified and hold value, Ensign, and if I were in your place, I would think the same way." Millicas suddenly spoke up, gently pushing Cagalli aside. "However, if I were sent here as a spy, then there would not be a need for ZAFT attacking, because the very purpose of this attack, as I see it, was the acquisition of the prototypes and their data. If I were a spy, then there would be a need for such an attack, since I would've procured it from the inside."
"Maybe, but that still doesn't excuse you for being who you are." Natarle glared a little at Millicas.
"And I'm not going to ask for any. However, despite my infamy, I assure you, that I am no longer with ZAFT, and that their leadership would like nothing more than to ensure my death, now that I've reappeared." Millicas stated to all of them. "I may like the Atlantic Federation just as much as I like ZAFT these days, but right now, we are in the same boat, and if we do not want to sink it, we need to work together." Murrue considered his words, until Mu La Flaga spoke up.
"He's right. The one who is outside is Rau La Creuset, and he is one persistent bastard, with a Nazca and Laurasia waiting for us just outside of Heliopolis." La Flaga stated. "Given our situation, I'd much rather have him on our side than against us, and I believe him. If he were a spy, Rau wouldn't have attacked him, and besides, why would a spy need this?" Mu pointed at the DRAKE.
"Sentimental value, plus an inspiration and basis for my work." Millicas answered the rhetorical question, with Murrue letting out a sigh.
"Lower your weapons." Murrue commanded, and the guards obeyed, as she turned to Lucifuge, with Natarle looking at Murrue with surprise. "You have gone out of your way to save us, Commander Lucifuge, and I thank you for that. However, given the circumstances of your persona and apparent involvement in here, I will need some answers, if we are to trust you."
"I will be happy to provide an elaborate and detailed story when we have the chance, but for now, I hope you can settle with a shorter version of one. In short and basic terms, I grew disillusioned with certain elements ZAFTs' leadership and caught their ire after poking my nose where I shouldn't have, so I escaped. They sent a pursuit party after, I staged my apperent death, and so I made my way to Atlas City, where I was granted political asylum within Orb, new identity and so forth, though it did come at a certain cost." Millicas explained to them all. "It was about the same time your Federation made a deal with Morgenroute to develop the G-Weapons, and they needed someone who had expertise in it, and I happened to be one of the leading experts in the field of Mobile Suit R&D. In other words, in exchange for a new life, they wanted me to make those Mobile Suits, and that what I did, so you are welcome." Millicas finished, surprising all again.
"You are also an MS developer?" Murrue asked of him.
"I am a man of many talents and skills, ma'am, and as much as I'd like to discuss them all, I think we should focus our attention on the situation at hand." Millicas reminded them all. "Lieutenant La Flaga is right- the man outside is indeed Rau La Creuset, and now that he knows that there are two more G-Weapons and that I'm alive, he'll do everything he can to see us all destroyed. By now, I imagine he is planning how to do so, and knowing his style, he'll deploy D-Equipment for it, as well as the prototypes just for that." That immediately got everyone concerned.
"He would use the D-Equipment and the G-Weapons inside the colony against us? The prototypes maybe technically ready, but their OS would still need to be upgraded, and they've not tested them out yet." Murrue remarked.
"I assure you, Lieutenant, that for Rau, those are as irrelevant as it gets, and he does not give a damn about what happens to the colony. He is the kind of a man who only cares about results, no matter how many body bags he'll need afterwards, or what rule of engagement he'll need to break." Millicas told her, as he sighed and took stock of the situation. "Now, considering our situation, I'd say he has three or four GINNs left, so those will be with D-Equipment, while out of the four captured, only Duel, Buster and Blitz will be ready for deployment within an hour and a half to two hours. That gives us a bit of window of opportunity to work with."
"What about the Aegis?" Natarle asked. "You failed to mention it."
"I've shot its thruster, so it'll not be available any time soon." Cagalli stated, with Millicas confirming it with a nod. "They'll need time to get the OS working properly, so we'll use this time. How's the situation with the supplies on your ship?"
"We have enough food supplies to last us at least six months, along with the ammo for the ship's guns, but we didn't manage to load enough water before the attack, and we've not yet loaded the MS parts and ammunitions." Chief Murdoch answered, with Millicas turning to Murrue.
"Then we best get those loaded. The ammo and parts for the MSs are in the south-eastern part of Morgenroute's facility, and as for water, does this ship a water intake and filtration system?" Millicas asked of Murrue, who nodded to him. "There are four industrial reservoirs over there. If you have enough hoses, we can load the water from there into your ship. It may not give you a full tank, but it should save us from rationing at least for a few weeks."
"Alright, you heard him. Chief Murdoch, sent first team to retrieve the spare parts and the ammo for MS contingent. Ensign, do you have technical expertise?" Murrue asked of Natarle.
"I've worked as part of the technical team, yes." Natarle answered.
"Then you take third and fourth teams to those reservoirs and get us the water out of them." Natarle nodded and moved with her teams.
"Um, Professor…" Sai Argyle finally spoke up, getting the attention of others. "What… What should we do? Can we get to the shelters?"
"Oh boy… I'm sorry, but I doubt that they'll let anyone in, not after that CGUE made that hole." Millicas said genuine sorry in his voice. "I'm afraid that the safest place for you now is the Archangel."
"Then… Then what should we do?" Tolle asked. "And how should we even call you?"
"You can call me Millicas, if that is what you are asking, and as for what to do, I can't exactly tell you what to do, since you are civilians." Millicas told them. "However, if you are willing to lend a hand, then we could use your assistance with the supply transportation, if you are willing."
"We are." Sai nodded, and he, Tolle, Miriallia and Kuzzey moved with the technicians, with Kira preparing to do the same, but Millicas stopped him.
"Kira, a moment." Millicas asked him, getting his attention. "You and Cagalli take a break, get something to eat or drink, while we still have a chance."
"I'm fine." Cagalli stated to him, but Millicas' gaze told her to listen to him, with Kira deciding to do the same.
"Um, Commander?" Kira spoke up before leaving. "What will happen next? Will they really attack us with those other Mobile Suits?"
"Most probably, yes. Once they are done with data extraction and OS calibrations, those machines will be ready to go, safe for Aegis." Millicas told him, with Kira clearly not liking this idea. "Kira, I am sorry, but this is war now, and to survive, we'll need you and the Strike. Cagalli and I may be able to deal with GINNS, but with those three, they'll overwhelm us in no time, especially if La Creuset decides to fire at the colony, in hopes of hitting the ship."
"I understand. I… I'll do as you say." Millicas nodded to him, with Cagalli following Kira out.
"Got to say, you have quite a way of commanding." Mu La Flaga noted. "So, are both of those two Coordinators?" La Flaga asked, with Murrue also taking interest.
"Kira only, he is a first-generation, while Cagalli is a Natural, but her Lancer is equipped with a Natural compatible OS, so she can pilot it better than most pilot GINNs." Millicas answered. "I hope it won't be a problem, that Kira is a Coordinator?"
"Nope, not a problem for me." Mu answered.
"Same." Murrue said, as Millicas nodded to them and turned towards the exit out of the launch bay. "Commander, where are you going?"
"Just retrieve some of my belongings from back home. Don't worry, I live across this park, so I'll be back in about ten or so minutes." Millicas answered, and left the bay.
"I must say, I he wasn't what I expected him to be." Murrue told to Mu. "From all those stories and rumors, I expected something of a living demon in the flesh or something like that. Though he is certainly a military expert."
"Wait till you see him in action, but yeah, he ain't exactly all that the information agencies and propaganda spouts to us, though he is, or was, ZAFT's First Ace and their finest Pilot." Mu spoke up. "Although he was never like other of their commanders and pilots, at least in his attitude and approach to warfare."
"What do you mean?" Murrue asked of La Flaga.
"Often I saw ZAFT pilots take no prisoners, shoot down life pods and fleeing enemies, and I imagine that this has been more or less encouraged, but Lucifuge and his Angels… They were different, never ones to break rules or act like enemy pilots were beneath them." Mu told her. "Do you remember the Aprilius Intervention?"
"Of course, the first time ZAFT deployed their mobile suits, about six months before the war's beginning." Murrue answered. "I remember that the fleet was nearly wiped out, and most of the prisoners were picked up by ZAFT, before being transferred to Atlas and Copernicus City, as part of the negotiations between PLANTs and United Nations."
"I was among the captives, shot down by one of the Angels, but I did get to see them and Millicas in action, and let me tell you- he has earned his reputation as ZAFT's finest." Mu said. "After the battle, however, many of ZAFT's pilots didn't exactly think that it was important to follow proper rules of conduct, and one of the pilots shot my wingman, just because he thought he could do it, right before my eyes. And then, I saw him, Millicas, barge up to that pilot, nearly rip him apart limb from limb, and then had him arrested and informed the rest, that if anyone does anything like that again, he'll personally shoot them on the spot. He stated, and I quote: "You are soldiers, so act like it, but if you wish to act as rabid dogs, then I'll put you down as ones." Murrue clearly was impressed by what she heard, earning a bit of respect towards Millicas.
A bit later.
Once they were finished with their part of the job, the four students sat in the mess hall, resting and chewing on their food, having been relieved of their current duties. With a moment of peace that they were finally granted, they've been discussing everything that had happened, and what it all meant for them.
"So, does this mean that Orb is now at war with ZAFT?" Kuzzey asked, with others not knowing what to answer. "Why would Morgenroute decide to help the Earth Alliance it wasn't to fight in a war?"
"Maybe so that Orb would also have its own mobile suits." Sai offered. "I mean we are neutral and all, but as Professor… Millicas said neutrality only matters while people decide that it does matter. Perhaps Morgenroute is afraid that there will be a war, and Orb would be unprepared."
"But this led to ZAFT attacking us." Kuzzey noted. "It was a mistake for Morgenroute to develop those Suits here. If they didn't, then Orb…"
"Then Orb would've remained neutral, is that what you mean?" Suddenly all four heard Cagalli's voice, getting their attention, as she walked and sat with her tray of food near them. "Sorry to tell you this, but from what I've learned, either way, Orb might get involved in this entire mess, whether we'd like it or not. Morgenroute, or rather the Sahaku family, simply decided that it would be best to be prepared for when that happens, and so decided to throw their lot with the Atlantic Federation to develop their own MS. At least, that's what I think had happened."
"So, it wasn't Lord Uzumi who made that agreement?" Sai asked, with Cagalli shaking her head at that. "I see. By the way, we've noticed that you weren't so surprised about Millicas."
"I knew who he was, obviously, and we've been friends for a long time, long before the war, actually." Cagalli said, as she chewed on her food.
"Really? Can you tell us about him, then?" Miriallia asked of Cagalli, who gave her a questioning eye. "I mean, he was our professor in the collage, or at least pretended to be one, but even then we knew next to nothing about him, aside from him being a Coordinator. I guess now we know that he is from PLANTs and that he served in ZAFT."
"You are only half-right, Millicas served in ZAFT, but he was born in Orb." Cagalli told them, surprising them all. "And he isn't a Coordinator, at least not fully. His father was a Natural, while his mother was a Coordinator, and he was born naturally." The four knew what it meant.
"Then he is actually a Hybrid?" Tolle said with surprise. "Wait, but I thought that Hybrids take more after Naturals or so, though they are better in some areas, like Coordinators, and Millicas is so smart, that he even at times made Kira look like a bit of a novice."
"Well, as Millicas once said, part of that came from his mom's genetics, and the rest from his own hard work." Cagalli said. "To be fair, when I first met him, I too mistook him for a Coordinator, because of his intellect and looks, but it was his intellect that made him stand out even among Coordinators. When he was 14, he received his first Ph.D. from Atlas University in robotics, and then a few others a few months later."
"If he was so set for the future, why did he suddenly move to PLANTs?" Miriallia asked of Cagalli, who stopped her eating, thinking on it a little. "Is it because of his mother, because she was from PLANTs or something?"
"He… Millicas lived in Orb until he was 7, but then he lost his father." Cagalli revealed to them, shocking them.
"What happened?" Tolle asked for all.
"He was in Brussels, on the May 10th."Cagalli told them, and all four of them realized what she meant.
"The UN's Bombings of C.E. 56, the same one that took the life of Lord Tatsuya Mashima, the previous Chief Representative of Orb and its Red Angel, the man who made Orb into a powerful nation, able to stand on equal footing with others." Sai recalled the tragedy. "I remember hearing from mom that it was a tragedy for the whole nation. Both he, his wife, along with over hundreds of others were killed in those bombings…"
"Yeah, Millicas' father was there too, and his mother decided to move to PLANTs, afraid for his life, since it was Blue Cosmos' work, or so she told him." Cagalli continued. "For a time, they lived there, until his mom decided to send him to Atlas when he was 12, to study in its University."
"Well, I can see why he would want to join ZAFT." Miriallia said. "Hey, is his mother still in PLANTs?"
"No, she too died, a few days after his departure for Atlas. There was an accident on the shuttle she was travelling, decompression and… Well, you get the idea." The teens felt bad for Millicas, as Cagalli continued to speak up. "Official version said that there were technical problems, but given the time when it all happened, it's more than likely that it was Cosmos' handiwork."
"Man, it's surprising that he's not like those other Coordinators from ZAFT that I've heard about. You know, the kind that hates and looks down on Naturals. After having lost so much, if I were in Millicas' shoes, I might've done so too." Sai admitted. "By the way, how did you two meet, Cagalli?"
"We met while he was in Atlas City, I was visiting with my parents on some business and got bored, so I wondered around for a bit, until I ran into Millicas. From there, we kinda hit it off from the start and been friends ever since." Cagalli answered, but before any more questions could come, she heard a message by the intercom.
"Mobile Suit Pilots, stand by your machines. Repeat, Mobile Suit Pilots, stand by your machines." A message sounded through the radio, with Cagalli wiping her mouth and hurrying to leave.
"You guys best go to your quarters. Looks like we'll soon have a fight on our hands." Cagalli said and hurried to the hangar.
"Commander, we are not detecting any incoming enemies yet." Natarle reported to Millicas, who was already seated and ready in his DRAKE, dressed in his personal red and black pilot suit.
"I know, Ensign, but they'll appear any moment now, and I'd like at least to get some drop on them." Millicas stated, as he equipped sniper rifle and beam rifle on to his shield, cocking the receiver of the sniper rifle. "If those GINNs will becoming with D-equipment, they'll be slower and less maneuverable, which will make them easy pickings from long range, so I'll range out possible entry points, before the fighting starts. What's the status on those water supplies?"
"We've loaded up our tanks with all that we could. It should be enough for three weeks with normal consumption." Natarle stated. "Shall we prepare Strike with the Sword Pack and have it on standby?"
"No, give it an Aile instead, best if he has more maneuverability and speed than, and a regular beam saber should do against others." Millicas said, as the launch doors opened and he flew out of them, before maneuvering and landing onto top of one of the beam cannons, beginning ranging. "Lieutenant, can you send me data on the last location of those two ships to me?"
"Yeah, though I doubt they'd still be there." Mu said, as he sent data to Millicas. "So, do you have a plan on how to deal with them, or are you winging it?"
"Yeah, Lancer and I will keep the other G-weapons occupied, while Strike picks off GINNS with your help. If we are lucky, I'll shoot one or two down before they reach us." Millicas stated, as he noticed Lancer with Cagalli land on the opposite turret. "Cagalli, keep your eyes on the area here. This was their last entry point, they might use it again." Millicas said, before his sensors picked up and explosion in the exterior of the colony, with three of the G-Weapons flying out, followed by three GINNs, with D-Equipment, heading straight to
"Okay, should I target those Gundams or the GINNs?" Cagalli asked of him, attaching Sniper module and ranging the distance. "Damn, they use prototypes as shields."
"Shoot regardless, they'll either move or take a shot. Either way is a win for us." Millicas told her, as he aimed and fired, missing his first shot, with Cagalli doing the same, as the Archangel began to turn to greet the new enemies. "DRAKE to Strike, launch now with Aile Pack and follow right behind me. Lancer, covering fire and proceed with us at a low altitude, new plan." The Strike launched, with DRAKE moving ahead and Kira following, as Cagalli continued firing, while Millicas thought of a plan on how to get them out of this situation.
"Looks like the Commander is thinking he can take us all on his own." Yzak spoke up to other pilots, as he readied his beam rifle and started firing, with DRAKE gracefully avoiding his shots, while firing back with his own beam rifle. "Looks like he has upgraded his machine. No matter, this machine is still leagues ahead of his own. Dearka, cover for me, I'll take him on!" Duel accelerated and flown straight towards DRAKE, firing at him, with Millicas firing back, seemingly going on a collision course.
"Yzak, pull to the side, or else you'll collide!" Nicol tried to tell him, as he too opened up fire, with DRAKE blocking his shot.
"Shut up!" Yzak said, accelerating his machine even further and going full speed ahead, as he drew out his beam saber. "Alright, traitor, show me what you've got!" Yzak proclaimed as his Duel was ready engage DRAKE.
"Kira, now!" Millicas commanded him, as he suddenly veered the machine to the left, and several green bolts immediately hit Duel in his right side, damaging his arm, as DRAKE flown by him and as it reached his rear, fired at his thrusters, and hit them, damaging the machine seriously.
"Did we get him?" Kira asked of Millicas, as he saw Duel decelerate and lose altitude, before Millicas followed that one with a shot to his head, taking out half of it.
"Yeah, he's taken care of. Focus on the Blitz. I'll take care of Buster. Cagalli, GINNs are on you." Millicas commanded, as Duel lost finally lost propulsion and fell down onto the earth, as the two MS headed to their respective targets.
"Damn it! Damn him!" Yzak cursed from inside his machine, as he tried to bring it back to life, and seeing a monitor flare up with message of battery damage. "Fuck!" Yzak banged on the controls, as they flashed on and off, only having his radio on.
"Hey, Yzak! A little help, he is on me now!" Dearka pleaded. "Damn, he's coming in close! I need support! Nicol, Miguel, where are you?!"
"I can't, the white one is on me!" Nicol reported, as Blitz fired at Strike, and it evaded and fired back. "Ugh, can't get a good enough lock on him."
"Hold it, Dearka, I've got him in my… What the…!" Was the last coherent thing that Yzak heard from Miguel, before a stream of obscenities and static followed.
"Got the first one, second coming right up!" Cagalli said, as Lancer struck the GINN's thrusters from below and sent it flying down, having been hidden from the sensors via left-over heat from Archangel's engines, before following the other two, firing it's gun with Rifle module.
"Good one! Keep it up!" Millicas called out, as DRAKE maneuvered to the left and then above, dodging it's Gun Launcher and beam rifle, before firing back at him, singing the armor on the left and forcing him to maneuver away, losing his targeting solution.
DRAKE didn't let Buster go that easily and rushed towards him with his rifle firing, hitting one of its knees and blowing it off with the lower leg, causing the Buster to go into an uncontrolled throttle from the sudden loss of one of the thrusters on its leg, firing without control. DRAKE managed to maneuver from most of the fire, with only one beam shot hitting his shield, before Millicas repeated the success by a well-timed shot on the second knee, blowing it to the bone, metaphorically, and then charging straight at the machine.
Without the ability to maneuver, Buster was only able to take the attack, as DRAKE kicked the machine straight down, but followed by firing at one of its missile pods, causing it to explode, taking out the right arm and shoulder, as well damaging the main camera. Soon after that, the heavily damaged machine finally lost its thrusters and fell down.
Millicas decided not to finish it off and instead rushed off towards one of the GINNs that was starting to reach the position for firing, while the second one, fired its rockets at Lancer, with the nimble machine maneuvering and detonating the rockets in mid-air thanks to its CIWS. It did knock it off course a bit, with Cagalli wasting a few moments to stabilize her machine, but DRAKE already was on the target.
Closing in on the second GINN and firing a precise shot at his torso, taking it out with an explosion. At that time, the Archangel's rockets reached and destroyed the last GINN, leaving only Blitz, which was up at this point engaging Strike, but seeing the situation turn against him, decided to call quits and left as fast as it could. This left the field firmly behind the Archangel and its forces, with Millicas letting out a sigh of relief and a small smile.
"Great job, everyone." Millicas said over the radio, as he looked at the sensors. "Not only did we knock Rau's mobile suits out for good, but we now have a chance to recover two more of our machines. Archangel, prepare to receive two damaged machines."
"Acknowledged, DRAKE, we…" At that moment the colony started to shake and then explosives went off, while chunks flew, with green beams coming off. "Commander, what is going on? We are reading massive damage to the colony, structural integrity failing…"
"It's La Creuset! He's firing at the colony in hopes of having it collapse on us, or to hit us. Everyone, evasive maneuvers! If you see an opening into space, fly out, but keep close, so he might not zero in on you then!" Millicas commanded, as his machine maneuver around flying debris, before finding one of the openings and flying out into space, as he watched Heliopolis collapse and chunks of it fly off in different directions.
Within minutes, once massive and seemingly invulnerable structure crumbled and collapsed, breaking apart and forming a massive field of debris, ruined fragments and more. As the two of ZAFT's vessels observed from the distance, the massive structure completely lost even remoteness of any shape and form, and all that remained of it was what was allowed to survive the merciless barrage.
"The Council will not approve of this action, Commander, and will demand an explanation for our actions." Captain Ades stated with stern tone, as he watched from his chair as the new debris field formed before his eyes. "Not only did we invade a neutral colony, but we've opened fire and destroyed it. That's not to mention that we fired while our forces were inside!"
"Calm yourself captain. I am certain that the colony was already evacuated, so the majority of the citizens have already evacuated. And besides, compared to what happened during Bloody Valentine, this is hardly such a tragedy, and as for any unfortunate bystanders, accidents do happen in such events." Rau answered, as he floated to one of the sensors. "And as for our pilots, I'm certain that they will be fine, especially with their brand new mobile suits."
"Not that it had saved from being defeated by the Seraph and his new team." Ades remarked grimly, with Rau letting out a sharp exhale. "Out of the six machines we've sent, only Blitz appears to be fully operations, and others are critically damaged or destroyed. I advise we retrieve our damaged units and retreat…"
"There will be no retreat, Captain. We will retrieve our machines, but we will not abandon our hunt." Rau told him with cold tone, with Athrun and Captain Ades surprised at it. "We shall repair what we can as we go, but we will not disengage."
"Commander, I agree with the Captain, we are at a massive disadvantage now, and if try to force another engagement…" Athrun tried to speak up, but Rau interrupted him.
"Your concerns are noted, but… Even if we cannot engage them now, we can at least track and follow them, and make sure that they do not reach their HQ on the Moon. Send out recovery teams and send a message to Gamow, regarding my orders" Rau stated, as he turned to one of the comms officers. "Can we locate them or our machines?"
"I'm afraid it is impossible, with such a massive debris field and so many heat sources, I fear we are virtually blind." The officer reported, with Rau letting out a frustrated grunt.
"Commander, if we are not going to disengage, then may I suggest requesting reinforcements from nearby forces?" Captain Ades suggested. "I believe Maya and Tlaxcala operate close by, I am sure they would be willing to reinforce us, if…"
"Captain, in case you have forgotten, this is a special mission, one that is not officially authorized…" Rau reminded him with a too sharp tone, until he calmed himself and added. "I shall confirm with the Command our situation and request appropriate reinforcements to be sent to us. Rest assured, Captain, but for now, concentrate on trying to locate our machines and the enemy ship." Rau stated, as he turned to other officers, with Athrun turning to Captain.
"Captain, is it just me, or is Commander appear to be… fixated on this?" Athrun spoke up. "It's like… It's like he wants to destroy those MSs and ship no matter what."
"I believe he is more interested now in seeing Commander Lucifuge destroyed." Captain Ades said, getting Athrun curious. "It is merely a rumor, but apparently, Commander Lucifuge nearly ousted Commander La Creuset from ZAFT after Aprilius Intervention, when he was but a team leader, and since then, the two can't stand each other."
"Why would Commander Lucifuge do such a thing?" Athrun asked of Ades.
"Like I said, it is merely a rumor, but… I heard that after that battle, La Creuset either allowed or personally shot one of the captured EA soldiers." Ades revealed to Athrun, surprising him. "If that is true, then it wouldn't surprise me why Commander La Creuset hates him so much, and I imagine that the feeling is mutual. Even after Junius Seven, Commander Lucifuge continued to show a… remarkable amount of tolerance and restraint in warfare, much unlike Commander La Creuset."
In that regard, Athrun was ready to agree with the captain, as he never would've imagined Commander Lucifuge mounting an attack on a neutral colony, much less destroying it. In fact, while in the Academy, he remembered Commander stating at length the principals of warfare, as well as the importance of following proper rules of warfare, even if it is to the detriment of tactical and even strategic situation. Quite a few times Athrun had noticed that there were Commanders and pilots who either ignored, or outright disregarded those rules, and he heard stories of their actions, and he couldn't help but feel disgusted at such acts.
And now… Now he was an accessory to one such act, and he couldn't help but believe that if he were to face Commander Lucifuge now, he would be dearly disappointed in him, and all for good reason. Deciding to do at least something good, Athrun headed down to the hangar, volunteering to participate in the retrieval of his comrades and their machines, or at least in what remained of those.
"Leave it to La Creuset to destroy the barn to flush a wolf out…" Millicas muttered to himself, as he took stock of his machine, finding all in working order. "DRAKE to Archangel, come in, Archangel. I've got your signal, but I can't pinpoint it, due to debris."
"Archangel to DRAKE, we have you on our sensors too, sending you our coordinates now." Natarle informed him, with Millicas getting the data. "Commander, do you have a visual on X105 Strike?"
"No, but I think I've got his IFF on my sensors. Give me a second." Millicas reported, before he configured his sensor a bit more, partially getting through the interferences. "Yeah, I've got it. Did something happen?"
"We are trying to reach him, but we are not getting any response back. Please check on its status." Natarle asked. "X108 is on board. We are waiting only for you two."
"Acknowledged, I'm on it." Millicas stated, as he piloted the machine through the debris, moving it with minimal enough power to appear as nothing more than part of debris on enemy sensors, as extra precaution, until he managed to find X105. "There he is. Kira, come in, Kira. Are you alright, kid?"
"C-commander?" Millicas heard a shaky voice of the teen. "I-it's... It's gone, Commander. The colony…" Identifying the clear shock in the kid's voice, Millicas spoke to him, as DRAKE decelerated and stopped near Strike
"I know, Kira. I'm sorry, but there was nothing more we could do. I'm certain the relief ships have already been dispatched from nearby colonies and from Atlas, and will arrive soon." Millicas assured him. "Now, are you hurt?"
"I… No, I'm okay." Kira said. "I can move."
"Okay, the let's get going." Millicas said, as he moved DRAKE towards Archangel, until his sensors picked up something. "Wait, I've got something on my sensors."
"An enemy?" Kira asked with a bit of a worry, but Millicas was quick to calm him.
"No, too small for an enemy… A life pod." Millicas said, as he magnified the image and transmitted it to Kira. "It appears dead in space, probably got damaged during the ejection process. Propulsion and transmitters are gone, and its overall electronics are almost gone."
"Meaning its life support might fail soon! We must retrieve it!" Kira exclaimed.
"Yeah, you pick it up, I'll cover for you." Millicas commanded, as he got his beam rifle ready, while Strike moved to take the life pod, and the two proceeded to Archangel, before arriving to it. "Archangel, this is DRAKE with Strike, requesting landing clearance. We have a damaged life pod with us, and it is minutes away from going completely offline. Clearance to land, Archangel?"
"Commander, I must remind you that this is a military vessel, and part of the secret project. We cannot simply accept any civilian craft on board." Natarle spoke up in the radio, with Kira ready to yell at her. "Relief craft and vessels should be dispatched from Orb. They will take of the survivors."
"Your concern is noted, Ensign, but I repeat: life pod is heavily damaged and is barely functioning. The civilians will either suffocate or die from a collision with another object." Millicas stated. "Considering our current situation, I'm afraid that our vessel is no longer a secret, and in accordance to Washington Convention of C.E. 10, in case of an emergency, such as an inoperable life pod, military vessels are bound to offer any possible assistance, including rescue. I deem their situation warranting one, so I repeat my request for landing clearance." Millicas reiterated his request, and this time, Natarle spoke up.
"Clearance for landing granted." Natarle replied with a calmer, professional tone.
"Thank you. Kira, you first." Strike followed into the opened hangar, as DRAKE guarded his entry, before following suit, gently floating into the hangar and docking his Suit, before exiting.
"Damn nice flying out there! You've saved our hides." Chief Murdoch praised Millicas, as he floated out of the cockpit, before seeing the crew unlock life pod, and out floating Flay Allster of all people, surprising Millicas, who immediately floated to Kira, hugging him with tears in her eyes. "Well, looks like two lovebirds found each other."
"I wouldn't say so. Excuse me." Millicas floated towards the pair, as he saw the girl nearly losing herself.
"This is a ZAFT ship! There are mobile suits in here!" Flay cried out, before Millicas' calm voice drew her attention.
"I can assure you, Miss Allster, that this is not ZAFT's vessel, but one of Earth Alliance. And as for its Mobile Suit compliment, it is one that belongs to this very ship." Millicas said getting her attention, noticing her widened eyes at DRAKE and his uniform. "And as for my uniform and that suit behind, those belong exclusively to me."
"P-professor Shiba?" She asked with confusion, as she gotten a close enough look at him. "Wh-what are you doing in here?"
"Currently, I am conversing with you, Miss Allster. Now, please calm yourself, and thank Kira for carrying you and your life pod here." Millicas told her, before turning to Kira. "Kira, can I leave her in your care?"
"Um, yes, sir." Kira nodded to her.
"Good. Go and get some food and rest, you've earned it. If you need me, I'll be with the captain and Lieutenant on the bridge." Millicas told him, as he floated towards the dressing room, leaving the two teens.
"That man didn't answer my question. What are all of you doing here?" Flay asked of Kira, who struggled to answer that question.
"It's… kinda a long and a bit complicated story." Was all he said before he and Flay moved to the living area.
Once Millicas was finally out of his pilot suit, he dressed himself in a short red coat, similar to one ZAFT wore, but of brighter tone and without black parts, and with golden details to it, giving an aristocratic look, followed by black trousers and boots, with a white shirt underneath. After fixing up his collar and hair, he entered the bridge, immediately getting the attention of all on the deck, with the two female officers clearly paying him extra attention, with Millicas noting a small blush on Ensign Badgiruel's cheeks, with Cagalli having a smile on her face.
"Something on my face?" Millicas asked with a bit of humor, breaking the ice.
"No, just admiring a man in the uniform." Mu stated with a smile. "Fancy uniform, never seen any of ZAFT's wear something like that, though it does look a bit similar to that of their ace red uniforms."
"It's my own, a family heirloom, actually." Millicas explained. "ZAFT's leadership encourages personnel individuality in their pilots, and right before the war, they didn't adopt the red uniforms. They did so after the Intervention, inspired by my performance and as a way for all future ace pilots to emulate and strive to be as good as the man who opened this new chapter of warfare, or so I was told."
"Guess we also have you to thank for that as well." Murrue said with a humorless chuckle.
"Ahem, perhaps we should focus on our current situation." Natarle spoke up, returning the focus back to the task at hand. "We have managed to repel the enemy attack, thanks to you and your tactical insight, Commander. While the enemy has lost its numbers and mobile suits, it is possible that they are still lurking somewhere in the area."
"Ensign is correct in that. If I know La Creuset, he'll not let even such a metaphorical black eye stop him. If we are lucky, then Duel and Buster are lost to the for good, but if we aren't, then they will have the ability to repair them, though it will take them considerable time and effort." Millicas stated, as the map of the region was brought up. "Regardless, one thing is for certain- we cannot remain in here forever."
"I agree on that assessment, but where should we go?" Murrue asked, as the possible routes towards the Moon appeared. "If we go straight to Moon, we run high risk of encountering heavy resistance from the enemy, since we will be passing through their hunting grounds. It is also highly likely that the enemy has already requested assistance from nearby ships."
"I have my doubts on that last one, but you are right. Everything between here and the Moon in this area is essentially ZAFT's primary hunting grounds, and should we encounter even one of them, then the rest of the pack will join soon enough." Millicas spoke from experience, as he pointed at the area. "It is their standard practice, and unless the commander and captain that we encounter are not fools or glory hounds, they'll request reinforcements and either tail us, or fight a delaying action."
"Not to mention that we would also be having La Creuset trailing us, if not attacking us along the way." Mu reminded them all. "While I'm not one to cast doubt on Seraph's prowess, I'd rather we do not test our luck."
"Agreed, then instead of the direct route, we consider going towards Artemis." Natarle suggested, as she showed the route to it. "From a tactical standpoint, I believe it is our best option. We are understaffed, and Artemis can provide us both additional personnel and a safe harbor, considering its defensive capabilities."
"You mean it's Umbrella?" Mu asked, with Natarle nodding to him. "Yeah, from what I've heard, no one has been able to break through its light wave shield, and it has never been attacked by ZAFT."
"Mainly because of its minimal strategic and tactical importance, but I agree that it is a sound idea, at least in theory." Millicas said. "However, in practice, this is not the route I would take."
"Care to elaborate on that?" Murrue asked of him.
"First of all, Artemis is Eurasia's base, and this is Federation's vessel, carrying secret equipment and data on it, not to mention not being listed anywhere in the registers. Second, while I have a rather respectable opinion of the Eurasian military, Artemis and its personnel I consider being an exemption from the generally professional and capable Eurasian military." Millicas said to them. "I believe it is no secret to anyone, that despite all of its capabilities, Artemis' importance is rather minimal overall. Because of that, Eurasia mainly sent the undesirables in there, and that includes their commander, Read Admiral Gerard Garcia."
"I've never heard that name before." Mu said.
"From what I heard, he served under Villard in Grimaldi Front as his chief of staff, and was later assigned to Artemis, though I suspect he had gotten that assignment only thanks to political connections. He, as well as many of his subordinates, often paid visits to Heliopolis, to spend their R&R, and I know that Garcia has been attempting to either buy secrets of Morgenroute, or to get spies in it, believing that there was something worth learning." Millicas informed them. "He failed, naturally, but he never stopped his attempts. Tried to bribe me too about a month ago, and when that failed, resorted to threats of rather poor quality. Let's just say that he didn't like me very much after our meeting, and if he learns who I really am and what is on this ship, he'll use every excuse to keep us as his "guests," while his men take our MSs apart, and I'd very much like to avoid it, especially in case with Raijin."
"He would be willing to go against his own allies?" Natarle asked of Millicas, who nodded to her.
"Without a moment's hesitation, so while I do believe it is a sound plan on paper, it is not one in reality. That and this is what I imagine La Creuset would expect us to do." Millicas told them, as he turned to the map. "As much as I may find Rau La Creuset a foul bastard, he is a bastard with a cunning brain and sharp instinct, especially when it comes to pursuing his pray. Most likely, if he fails to find us, he will assume that we will head towards Artemis, either because of safety, or because of a supposed lack of supplies. He knows that not even I would decide to stroll straight towards the Moon."
"Then it would appear that whatever path we take, we will run into enemy resistance." Murrue surmised, as she looked at the map. "Maybe we could try our chances with the Artemis?"
"I don't know about you, captain, but I personally wouldn't want some shifty idiot locking me up and trying to get me to work for him." Cagalli voice her opinion, before turning to Millicas. "Maybe we can use what this Creuset thinks against him and give him a slip?"
"Hm… That could actually work, if I may." Millicas said, as he moved to the keyboard and tapped on it, making a new route. "We can't take a route straight to Moon, or to Artemis, so we won't go directly there. Instead, we'll take a longer route to it, one that they are unlikely to predict, although it will force us to find some point of resupply. However, I think we can manage to get to it, if we head here." Millicas finished formulating of his route, showing it to all.
"You… You would have us head to Debris Belt?" Natarle asked of him with shock. "This route would take us far longer to reach Moon, which will waste our supplies, not to mention that traversing the Debris Belt is extremely dangerous."
"Yes, and that is not what they expect from us. The ship maybe understaffed, but if we take this route, we will be fine. It avoids the main hunting grounds of ZAFT, and it will also allow us to give Rau a slip, if we use decoys properly and make ourselves appear as one." Millicas elaborated. "And as for Debris Belt, it is possible to navigate it, and we can salvage supplies from there. Food, water, ammunitions, even medicines- I even have spot in there where we can get it all, but… I doubt you will like it."
"Hm, I can see the value of your idea, and our stocks can afford it, but what about possible enemy presence along this route?" Murrue asked of Millicas.
"Possible, though highly unlikely. Given the priority of ZAFT's ships in interception of supplies from Earth to Moon, so most of them will be in this area." Millicas pointed to the map. "Maximum what we can expect is a lone patrol frigate or even a GINN Long Recon Type, which we can take care of before they can relay anything of value. Considering all of our options, captains, I believe this to be the most optimal path. La Creuset expects us to head towards safety and Moon, so he will be expecting us to take the Artemis route, so we will be able to throw him off our tail and disappear, at least for a day or two, or entirely, if we are lucky." Millicas finished his explanation, with Murrue turning to Natarle.
"Ensign, what is your opinion on this plan?" Murrue asked of her, with Natarle carefully considering it.
"Given Commander's personal history and knowledge of ZAFT's tactics, as well as our options… I agree with his plan." Natarle said her piece. "If La Creuset is still in the area, he will likely assume that our destination will be Artemis, as it would be near suicidal to move towards the Moon directly. While I do not like the idea of going through the Belt, I see no other option that would give us as high a chance as this one to shake off our pursuers."
"I'm all for it." Mu spoke up. "Although I do have to ask, how do we trick that persistent bastard to follow where we want him to?"
"That is something I can help you with."
Later. Vesalius
"The Artemis? Are you certain that they will head towards that asteroid base?" Ades asked, as he looked at the map. "Wouldn't they rather head for Moon directly?"
"No, even as good of pilot as Millicas is, he would know that this would be suicidal for him and his allies." Rau replied. "If our initial bombing had worked, than most likely their ship is suffering from a critical lack of manpower and supplies, both of which they can get in Artemis."
"Even so, considering the losses that we have suffered, we are in no shape to attack the enemy. We do not know the full combat capabilities of their ship, and with DRAKE and two G-Prototypes on board, they will be able to destroy us, if we run into them." Ades stated, as he looked at the map. "While Duel, Buster and Miguel's machine were retrieved, the latter two won't be able to fight for at least four days, while Miguel's GINN would be fairly useless against them. All we have is Blitz… I again request that you ask for assistance or reinforcements, sir."
"I have already given you my answer on the matter, Captain, and I do not mean to repeat myself…" Rau spoke, until he was interrupted.
"New signals on the sensors, sir!" One of the crewmen called out, getting their attention. "Confirming… It appears that the enemy ship has left the debris belt… In three positions."
"What? Confirm their destinations." Ades commanded.
"Calculating their trajectory… According to their speed and trajectories, the first one will circle around Earth and head for Moon, second will head straight to Moon, while the third will head towards Earth." The officer stated, with Ades confused by what he heard.
"It is a ruse, meant to confuse us. They are headed towards Artemis." Rau stated with confidence.
"But if even one of them is true, we should at least send Gamow to investigate." Ades argued.
"No, Captain. I can assure you, that our "Legged Ship" is headed towards Artemis, and the others are decoys. Lucifuge has used similar tactic during the Battle of Jachin Due, to conceal the movement of his forces towards the enemy fleet." Rau reminded Ades. "Now he thinks that it will help him and his friends escape. Apparently, our former friend has spent too much time around Naturals. Lay in the possible intercept course, and order the Gamow to follow on direct route towards Artemis. Once we have him cornered, then we will call for reinforcements and finish him off for good." Rau said with a slightly vicious smile, as his ship departed, anticipating a victory.
Neither Vesalius, nor Gamow were able to sense and identify with their radars and sensors the red DRAKE spying from the distance, hiding among the debris, watching the two ships depart from their positions and head towards the edge of the debris field. They also failed to take notice how one of the decoys corrected its course and now changed its direction, once it was safely outside of the range of ZAFT's sensors. Once Millicas was certain that La Creuset took the bait, he smiled and headed back to Archangel, knowing that this has bought them crucial time.
Well, looks like La Creuset has seriously underestimated The Red Comet of Jachin Due, and it will come to bite him in arse, and the same can be said about Creuset's team. I hope I did a good scene of a mobile suit fight, it has been rather a really long time since I actually made a mech battle, so I'm learning the ropes again.
Now, in the last review I got, I was asked to post description of the MSs used in this story, specifically those that are of mine design. I shall do so now for the two that have made their full appearance:
1) GAT-X108 Lancer Gundam
General-Purpose High Mobility Mobile Suit
Overall Height: 17.7 meters
Weight: 96.3 metric tons
Power-Plant: Ultracompact Energy Battery; Auxiliary Energy Battery
Standard Armaments:
Fixed: 2 × "Igelstellung" 75mm Automatic Multi-barrel CIWS; 2 × "Armor Schneider" Combat Knife; 2 x Beam Saber; 2 x Mounted High-energy Beam Cannon
Handheld: Anti-beam Shield; M1A Modular Beam Carbine; M1B Rifle Module; M1C Sniper Module
Description: The Lancer Gundam is the sixth of G-Weapons, developed by Morgenroute, drawing its design basis from earlier developed Strike Gundam and its two main Striker Packs, Aile and Launcher. Possessing a higher number of maneuverable thrusters and a new integrated thruster-weapon backpack, Lancer possesses combined flight and combat capabilities of Aile and Launcher Strike Packs, along with gaining ability for an atmospheric flight. While beam cannons possess only 85 percent of the power of Buster's Beam Cannon each, thanks to utilization of secondary battery in the thruster pack, they do not drain as much energy, and allow the Mobile Suit to engage in both maneuverable fights and fire at the enemy. With the addition of M1 Modular Weapon System, Lancer gains additional versatility in combat, able to swiftly change module to better suit the situation.
2) AVMF-7E DRAKE LC
Limited Production High Performance General Purpose Mobile Suit
Overall Height: 22.1 meters
Weight: 71 metric tons
Power-Plant: Ultracompact Energy Battery
Armaments:
Handheld: MA-M4 Heavy Blade; M11 90mm Heavy Assault machine gun; M34 120mm Sniper Rifle; M81 Rocket Launcher; Anti-beam sharpened Shield; 2 x beam Sabers; 57mm High-energy Beam Rifle
Description: Originally designed to compete against GINN by Vanguard Tech, DRAKE was designed with newly developed technologies, such as improved thrusters, differed armor materials and a more powerful battery to power. Due to costs and difficulty of producing, DRAKE was nearly shelved, but later was approved as a high-performance Ace machine, which, despite its small produced numbers, found success on the battlefield and among ZAFT's aces. Considered to be both the best Mobile Suit ZAFT currently has, it is both a mark of a great pilot and a challenge to operate, as its powerful thrusters can be difficult to handle, and most prefer to GINN High Maneuverability Type instead. Those that do pilot this Mobile Suit with skill are capable of outperforming GINN and even later CGUE by a wide margin, as DRAKE is oriented towards high speed and maneuver combat. However, after dissolution of Vanguard Tech soon after war and due to logistical issues, DRAKE's production was cut short, with only a limited amount of units being produced and spare parts. The first ever produced DRAKE unit was given to Commander Millicas Lucifuge, who used it exclusively since the beginning of the PLANT-Earth Alliance War, and which he also later modified extensively, increasing its overall power output, performance and armor, making it nearly compatible with G-Weapons.
I hope those descriptions will be helpful too you all
Hope you support this story by giving me your honest opinion on it in the reviews, or suggest something for the future, possible romance option, or ask a question about it. I like feedback, as it helps me make my story better.
Next time: Debris Belt; Junius Seven sees death again; Pink and Red Angel.
See ya!